Angel
by Tilena
Summary: Every decision has a consequences. Ryoko needs to find herself, but someone else is searching for something, too... Chapter 8 up!
1. Lost Love

Strong Ryoko. Independent Ryoko. Ryoko who didn't need anything. The spiky-haired beauty kept hearing those words echo in her mind over and over. Ryoko the Space Pirate would have enjoyed those words; the woman Ryoko did not. She did smile, though. A bitter, cold smile played on her lips.  
  
She tipped back the bottle and swallowed the last of the sake, feeling it burn in her throat. She'd been sitting up in the tree overlooking the lake since she'd heard those words spoken. Her normal rooftop spot was no longer sanctuary to her. She'd be loath to go and sit back there ever again.  
  
A lone tear tricked down her cheek, and she brushed it roughly away. "How dare you," she whispered, then had to laugh at herself. "How dare I! How dare I feel what I swore I never would."  
  
The stillness of the night only seemed to mock her. It all mocked her. She would leave! She would leave and never come back! This place, this planet, had only been misery for her. First being defeated by Yosho, imprisoned in a cave, and now... Ryoko shook her head violently, trying to push the thought away.  
  
"Damn you, Tenchi..." she trailed off. She regarded the empty bottle of sake, then tossed it into the lake. She wanted more, but she would die before she set for in that house again. The house... she imagined that she could hear the cheerful laughter, even from this distance. She wondered what they were doing now.  
  
Mihoshi, in all her stupidity, was probably sitting in front of the television watching some cop show. Even if she was a pain, Ryoko was rather fond of her. At least she didn't fight with her.  
  
Ryoko could almost imagine Mihoshi's partner, the green-haired Kiyone. She would probably be reading some Galaxy Police publication, or maybe cleaning her gun. Ryoko shook her head. She did not dislike Kiyone, but the dedicated policewoman was not her favorite. At least she was not competition for... Ryoko cut that thought off savagely.  
  
Sasami was most likely cleaning up after dinner and dessert. Ryo-oh-ki would be sitting by the sink, eyeing the carrots. Sasami was another one that most people would probably doubt Ryoko cared for. It was hard not to, with her bright smile and sweet ways. Besides, she was a fantastic cook.  
  
Then there was her "mother," doubtless working in her lab on her latest project. Washu, the greatest scientific genius in the universe, and not adverse to proclaiming so. Washu had invented Ryoko, in a sense. She even had a telepathic link with her daughter, something Ryoko was repressing right now. She couldn't talk to anyone, not like this. Still, it was endearing that someone cared about her, the lowly space pirate.  
  
Nobiyuki was not a bad person, as perverts went. Ryoko almost laughed. Presumably, he was sitting up in his studio looking at girlie magazines right now. Every since her first day of freedom, she had been aware of his interests. He thought he had escaped their attention, but Ryoko had noticed him outside of Tenchi's window with the video camera.  
  
Yosho, or known as Katsuhito on this planet, was probably somewhere in the confusion at the Masaki house. Ryoko had long since forgiven him for his imprisonment of her, though she retained her respect for him after his defeating her.  
  
She sneered at that thought. Since when did she respect anything? Hah! She was a ruthless criminal, after all! Not some prissy princess. Too late, she tried to stop the thoughts that flowed into her mind next.  
  
Ayeka, Princess of Jurai, typical brat born with the silver spoon in her mouth. She was bossy and loud, though she worked well to conceal that part of her personality.  
  
Stop! Stop this, Ryoko's mind screamed at her, but she ignored it. She needed to think about this. She needed to feel the pain.  
  
Ayeka had been brought up knowing that she was wonderful and perfect. Ayeka knew that she was wanted, as evident by the many suitors she had had on Jurai. Her flawless skin, slight figure, and delicate manners made her the perfect princess.  
  
Ryoko clenched her jaw. What had made her, scum that she was, think she could compete with THAT? Ryoko was nothing! Certainly not good enough for Tenchi... Tenchi... the name made her heart twist, and she gasped at a pain that she could feel but not heal.  
  
She balled up her fist and punched the trunk, making a hole in the wood. The throbbing of her hand brought her back to reality. And that reality was that she no longer had a place here. She wouldn't disappoint him! She'd be strong, independent Ryoko, the one who needed nothing, once again!  
  
Ryoko sighed and slumped down against the tree. "But how. How am I supposed to just forget it all? All the smiles, the laughter." She put her hand to her cheek. *You touched me here once, Tenchi. Am I supposed to forget that, too? Once, not so long ago, I didn't need anyone, but somehow you changed that."  
  
She started crying, this time not bothering to stop the tears. Sometimes things hurt so badly that you couldn't hold them in, she realized. Besides, no one was around to see her being weak. Lately, she was weak more often than not. Might as well get used to it, old girl.  
  
She longed for another bottle of sake. Anything to drown out these feelings. She blinked, an idea coming to her. Concentrating, she materialized her sword, then aimed it towards herself. Taking in a deep breath, she prepared to thrust it into her heart.  
  
This is wrong... this is not the way. Ryoko exhaled, watching the sword phase out. "I can't even do this right!" she shouted. "No wonder he doesn't want me! I'm a coward! I'm nothing but a washed up useless space pirate!"  
  
She stood up, her eyes glowing softly. "I'm going to go back there. I won't let them get the best of me. I won't let that..." her lip curled, "princess defeat me."  
  
She floated down from the tree, landing softly on the grass. Her skirt whipped around her legs, moved by the first wind that had blown that day. She turned her face towards it, feeling refreshed by the cool air. "Can't leave, but how can I stay," she sighed. "I have a life again. Maybe I should explore it."  
  
Ryoko brushed a stray hair out of her eyes. "Can I leave me heart behind? Can I leave..." She shut her mouth against saying more. "Maybe just a few days more... but no, I can't go back just now."  
  
She teleported herself to the cave, her cave. Funny. She swore that after she got free she wouldn't go back. Now, when she was at her lowest, here she was.   
  
She ran her hands down the smooth rock that lined the cave. Closing her eyes, she remembered all the time Tenchi had come up here and played. Somehow, thinking about that comforted her. A small smile lighted her face briefly, then she scoffed.  
  
"Who am I fooling? Those were just stolen moments. I'm not worthy of them. Just like I'm not worthy of him." She raised her voice and shouted into . "What was it, Tenchi? What did I do wrong? Did I show my emotions too much? Was I too strong? Did my powers scare you, Tenchi? What did I do wrong?! Tell me!"  
  
"Was it because I came on too strong? Hah! Silly little Ryoko. Never had any manners, I suppose. Wasn't brought up in a big palace with people looking over my shoulder, making sure that I knew what to do," she shrugged, not caring that she was talking to herself. "Well, good! I'd rather be me than her any day!"  
  
Except when she has Tenchi, her mind whispered traitorously. "No! Never! I will never want to be like her! I'm Ryoko and that's always been good enough for other people! Who cares if its not good enough for him? I should've known. He is HER blood, and she's always looked down on me! Damn incestuous Jurians." In spite of herself, she had to chuckle at that. Earth didn't seem to look kindly on incest, but since Tenchi had never really known Ayeka before, he couldn't bring himself to think of her like a sister.  
  
Ryoko blinked and permitted herself a small smile. Ayeka wasn't his sister. She was Yosho's sister, who was Tenchi's grandfather. So Ayeka was Tenchi's great-aunt, or some such nonsense like that. And to think, Ayeka was always teasing Ryoko about her age! Just wait until she... Ryoko sighed.  
  
"Well, silly girl, you keep thinking about things that aren't going to happen," Ryoko murmured. She heard then, in the silence, the soft pattering of raindrops. "Ah, even the clouds are weeping ..." Her voice trailed off. "No, they would not be. Not for me."  
  
"Why are you out here, daughter?"  
  
Ryoko jumped as Washu materialized out of the shadows. She looked over at the red-haired scientist. "How...?"  
  
"Did I find you? Simple! I'm the world's greatest scientific genius!" Washu replied. "Besides which, I always know where you are."  
  
"What do you want, Washu?" Ryoko asked, not meeting her mother's eye.  
  
"I want to know why you're out here in the cold and wet," Washu said simply. "You're keeping something from me."  
  
Ryoko didn't reply. She stared at the stone floor, instead.  
  
"Does it have something to do with a certain purple-haired princess and-"  
  
"Go away, Washu," Ryoko interrupted her flatly.  
  
"No, Ryoko, I will not go away. C'mon, you can tell your mommy what's wrong..." Washu coaxed.  
  
Ryoko rolled her eyes. "Some mother you are!" she snapped. "Where were you when I needed you most?"  
  
Washu stared at Ryoko, then sighed. "That's not going to work, Little Ryoko. You're not going to get me to leave that way."  
  
"Then how about if I physically make you leave?" Ryoko asked, moving closer to Washu.  
  
Washu shrugged. "You can try. But succeeding, that's another thing completely." The genius ended her statement by teleporting herself behind Ryoko. "You see, even if you don't think of me as your mother, I think of you as my daughter."  
  
"What does it matter?" Ryoko demanded.  
  
"It matters because I care." Washu sat down on a rock and put her hands behind her head. "So, tell me."  
  
"It doesn't matter! I have nothing! Nothing..." Ryoko cut herself off.  
  
Washu didn't move, but a flash of comprehension in her eye told Ryoko that she had said too much. "I see..." Washu said softly.  
  
"Oh, do you now? What do you know?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Ryoko."  
  
The tone in Washu's voice snapped something inside of the space pirate. "I don't need your pity! I don't need you, or anyone!"  
  
"Every one needs someone or something to depend on," Washu said gently.  
  
Ryoko started, hearing what she had told herself mentally voiced. She whirled on Washu. "What do you know of my pain? You sit all day in that lab and make inventions! Those are your true loves."  
  
Washu was silent for a minute. "I once had a love."  
  
Ryoko's brow furrowed. She hadn't expected this. Part of her wanted to know what exactly had happened, and the other part didn't care. It wasn't as if Washu's pain could somehow alleviate hers.  
  
Washu's face became very serious. "I loved him very much, Ryoko. And I lost him."  
  
"Why are you telling me this?" Ryoko asked, keeping her voice cool.  
  
"Because. I want you to understand. I know what you're feeling right now." Washu took a deep breath. "He was of higher breeding, whatever that means. We even had a child... then one day... they came for him. They took my baby and my husband away!"  
  
"You had ... another child?"  
  
"Yes, I did... such a beautiful baby. Had lovely blonde hair... such beautiful blue eyes..."  
  
Ryoko looked over at Washu and was surprised to see that her face was wet with tears. "Washu, I'm sorry," Ryoko said softly.  
  
"No! I'm not telling you this so that you would feel sorry for me. I'm telling you because I know. I know what it feels like to lose someone you love. Maybe not the same way, but it's the same pain. It's the anguish of losing someone suddenly, in a way that you don't think is fair at all."  
  
The demoness gained more respect f or Washu. She had never known of this before. She gave in to the throbbing of her heart. Sobbing, she fell into her mother's arms. "It's not fair! I tried so hard... I wanted to have Tenchi's love! I thought that he could love me!"  
  
"Shhh," Washu comforted, stroking Ryoko's hair. "It will be okay. There will be other guys."  
  
"But none of them is Tenchi!"  
  
"I know," Washu said, her voice heavy.  
  
"He's the only one who might've had a chance to care about me like that. He's the only one..." Ryoko whispered brokenly. "Who else would care about a lowly space pirate? Who would care about me?"  
  
"Lots of people, Ryoko, because you are not a lowly space pirate. You're better than that. You'll see."  
  
Ryoko didn't reply. She just cried on Washu's shoulder while night set in completely around them, a starless, rainy darkness.  



	2. Painful Decisions

Ryoko sat, staring out the window. A week had paced since Tenchi had make his decision known. There had been the congratulations and small party. Ryoko had stayed well away from it all. No, scratch that. She had stayed well away from everyone. Every time she went near them she saw the flash of pity in their eyes. When they thought she wasn't paying attention, people held whispered conversations. She knew, though. She knew what they were talking about. And while a small part of her said it was to be expected, the rest of her rebelled against what it symbolized. They knew her weakness. There had been a time when she hadn't had any weaknesses.  
  
She managed a small, half-hearted smile. There had also been a time when she was happy. When Tenchi hadn't made his decision. that had been the best time of her life. No, she hadn't been with him, but at least there was always the hope. Now she didn't even have that. It had all been jerked away from her. Not so long ago, he had opened up to her, and that spark of hope had turned into a small fire. She pictured his face in her mind, and she fancied that she could see affection for her in his face. She couldn't even look him in the face now.  
  
Come to think of it, she really hadn't, not since that day, and not at all for the past few days. She looked down at her right hand. A sigh of regret escaped her lips. With that hand she had struck him. She didn't even realize that she had done it until the next day when a purple bruise decorated his cheek. That was after he said that he did love her, but not in that way. How dare he! What was this, a sort of second place consolation prize? She remembered striking him now, and the shocked look he gave her. She knew he had made some kind of excuse, something about falling while running up the steps to the shrine. But they all knew the truth.  
  
What was the truth? She asked herself that a lot. She didn't even have a right to be upset. Its not as though they were going out before. He had never declared his love to her then taken it back. If he had, he'd have suffered a lot more than a little slap. Her face twisted slightly. That would have almost been satisfying. She felt that as much as she had loved him, she hated him even more at the moment. How could he just leave her like this? She sighed, then shook her head. You can't be left behind if you never had a chance in the first place. She was a monster. A disgusting space pirate. She wasn't even worth the food that she ate.  
  
Ryoko sighed, cutting off the thoughts in her head. What good did self-pity ever do for anyone? She looked down at herself. I am attractive, she thought. If Tenchi doesn't want me, that's his loss! I can do better! Yeah. no. I can't. Who else would even have a chance of loving me. Men have lusted after me. That's for sure. What about love, though? Maybe it's not possible to love me. Maybe that's why these things happen. I'm not what you would call lovable. I'm more confusing than Mihoshi's last report to GP Headquarters. And I should know; I saw it.  
  
She turned her head slightly, catching a soft laugh. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ayeka, smiling. Tilting back a little further, she saw Tenchi, sitting next to her. She felt tears well up in her eyes. That should've been her sitting there! Ayeka had plenty of men back home! This was Ryoko's home, her only home. She tried to swallow and fight the thought looming in her head, but she knew that eventually she would have to face it. It was true. She had to leave. There was no way she could stick around here. It was too painful. Besides, when it came down to it, she wasn't really wanted anyway.  
  
Ayeka's laugh penetrated her thoughts again. Snarling, Ryoko teleported herself outside. She leaned against a tree, breathing deeply. How sickening! How disgusting that she, Ryoko, should run from something as simple as a laugh. She was stronger than that. Wasn't she?  
  
Yes, she was, and she's show them all! She'd leave, and she's go back to the way she was when Kagato had control. She could do it on her own. She may have been like a puppet to that bastard, but she wasn't useless. She was as strong as he had been, if not stronger. The only reason she hadn't been able to take Kagato out during the final battle was being that idiot princess was in the way. She should've taken her out then, pretended like she didn't know that Ayeka would've been hurt. Damn her conscience!  
  
Ryoko fought to relax, her golden eyes glowing ever so softly. She turned her face up towards the sky. The sun shined brightly, but that wasn't what she was seeking out. She looked at the blue expanse. Once, she had traveled through that endless space. She loved every minute of it, too.  
  
She frowned. Hadn't she? When she was with Kagato, she could feel the thrill, but that hadn't been the same. She hadn't been free. And before then. she couldn't remember before. Her brow furrowed. Why hadn't she ever tried to recall things before Kagato came along?  
  
"It doesn't matter," Ryoko said aloud. "That won't change anything now."  
  
"What won't, Ryoko?" Sasami poked her head down from the foliage of the tree.  
  
Ryoko glared up at her. "Don't sneak up on a girl like that!"  
  
"Oh, pooh! I wasn't sneaking. I've been here the whole time," Sasami sniffed, then grinned. "Soo, who are you talking to?"  
  
"Myself," Ryoko mumbled, starting to walk off.  
  
"Hey, wait!" Sasami jumped down out of the tree, Ryo-oh-ki landing beside her.  
  
"Yeah, what? What do you want?"  
  
Sasami hugged the pirate suddenly. Her small face became very serious. "If you want to talk, I'm here, okay? I might be Ayeka's little sister, but I still like you. You're not who you try to be, Ryoko."  
  
Ryoko stared down at her. She opened her mouth to reply.  
  
"Oops! I gotta go! I have to start dinner!" Sasami dashed off suddenly, leaving Ryoko to wonder what just happened.  
  
Was it just me, Ryoko thought, or did Sasami seem a bit older then? I know she's not eight anymore, but... there was something... Ryoko shook her head, dismissing the thought. She's just a sweet kid. That was a nice offer, too. She sighed sadly. She knew that when she left, she would take the little cabbit with her. Sasami would be hurt. If there had been some other way to do it, Ryoko would have. She wasn't the monster that people tried to pin her as.  
  
Leaving. It was going to be one of the hardest things she had ever had to do. She felt as thought she was going back into that cold, dark cave. But it was better than staying here. Here, she had the sensation of drowning. Her stomach tied in knots at the mere thought of Tenchi and Ayeka together (damn that princess!) and already she was sure she had lost weight. She couldn't even have pride in her body anymore.  
  
Ryoko pursed her lips. She had to get some things in order before she left. First, she had to tell Washu. Ryoko still wasn't sure if was ever going to be able to think of Washu as being her mother without feeling silly, but since that night she had been closer to the little red-haired goddess. She just wished that Washu would stop wearing that creepy kid disguise. Yes, she had reason, but at the same time it was extremely odd to think of someone who looked twelve as being a mother. Especially being her, Ryoko's, mother.  
  
Mihoshi and Kiyone didn't need to know. They probably would figure it was just some normal stunt of hers, anyway. Kiyone had arrived after Azusa had pardoned her, but she had been informed of the situation. She wouldn't cause Ryoko any trouble for wandering off, though Kiyone knew that Ryoko had been a criminal at one time.  
  
Why am I thinking of them? What do they care! They don't. So why should I bother notifying them? They probably won't notice! They'll just figure it's another one of my "stunts." I pulled a Ryoko. After all, that's what I was best at, right? Being unreliable! The thoughts breezed through her mind as she forced the pain out.  
  
Build the walls again, Ryoko. You let them down, you let people see who you were. So build those walls again, tear down the bridges to your heart and reclaim the guardians to your heart.  
  
The sun was just starting to set, the light casting a rose color onto Ryoko's skin. This was her favorite time. She watched the sky, noticing all the colors coming together. They were all so beautiful, so perfect. Even as they darkened into blue the colors held their spell over her. They seemed to beckon to her.  
  
Maybe Kagato had been responsible for her previous actions, but she still longed for freedom! Space called to her from deep within. She probably wouldn't have been happy with Tenchi, anyway. He was too grounded, never having developed a taste for traveling. Well, interplanetary traveling, at any rate.  
  
Geez, I'm even rambling on in my thoughts! Ryoko chastised, then jumped as her stomach rumbled loudly. Now that she concentrated, she could almost smell Sasami's cooking. It actually was somewhat appatizing. That was a first since that day  
  
She flew to the house and phased through the wall. Everyone was already sitting down, and they looked up at her entrance. Tenchi at least had the grace to look slightly embarrassed at his hand on Ayeka's knee. Ryoko bit back her urge to just phase out and sat down next to Katsuhito. She helped herself to some food, then realized that they all were still staring at her. She gritted her teeth. "What? Haven't you ever seen a space pirate eat before?" she snapped.  
  
"Well, Ryoko, we thought 'cause of Ten-" Mihoshi was cut off by a sharp jab in her side. Kiyone cleared her throat. "It's just that you haven't been showing up lately. Welcome back."  
  
Ryoko nodded at Kiyone and continued to eat. When she had first phased in, they had been talking and laughing. Now it was silent and somber. Her appitite soon curbed as the tension seemed to build. She set her bowl down.  
  
"Miss Ryo-" Ayeka started.  
  
"No, save it. I'm out of here. I tried this whole family bit, and it's not working. So, it's been nice, but this is it." Ryoko bowed dramatically, more to hide her tears than anything else. Than, before anyone could say anything, she teleported out of there and to her cave. Leaning against the wall, she let the tears come.  
  
After a few minutes she lifted her head and walked towards the mouth of the cave. Her face shined mutely with tears, but she felt better. She knew that this was right. She couldn't stay here anymore. And her short and typical Ryoko goodbye was the right one. Maybe if she was lucky they wouldn't throw the party until after she left earth.  
  
Thinking that, her heart caught again. Dammit, why was she so weak?! Leaving was right, it was the only right thing that she had set her mind on doing. But it hurt so badly. She thought again of death. Death, now, that would hurt for a little bit. But it would go away. Just like everything else. She wouldn't feel anymore after that. She wouldn't be after that. Maybe it was best that way. She was a monster, anyway. A creation. She wasn't even a real person. She was just another one of Washu's experiments.   
  
"That's not true, you know."  
  
"Washu, go away. I don't want you here."  
  
"I don't care what you don't want. It's been a week, hm? And you return here, and here I am again. You needed me then and I think you need me now."  
  
"No, what I need is to be left alone! So leave me alone, damn it! Just go away! Get out of my life!" Ryoko shouted, her entire body going taut with anger. "All you damn idiots! You have your sheltered little lives! I don't even have a life! I'm nothing! I'm just a damned creation!"  
  
"Don't say that about yourself!" Washu cried.  
  
"You have a lot of nerve! You chastised Doctor Clay for mistreating his creations, but what about me? Did you ever think that maybe being a living creature with no purpose, no reason except that someone was curious to see! I was an experiment! Nothing else, Washu, nothing else!" Ryoko paused to take a breath.  
  
"No more!" Washu snapped as her computer materialized. She punched a few keys.  
  
Ryoko opened her mouth to reply, and found that she couldn't! She couldn't talk! She tried to dematerialize, and again couldn't do it. Furious, she blasted their mental link with anger.  
  
Washu winced. "That won't work either, Little Ryoko." She typed in a few more keys, and Ryoko felt a numb sensation come over part of her mind. She blinked and shook her head.  
  
"That's right. I shut down our link. Now, you will listen to me. I didn't sit in my lab one day and mix a few chemicals here and there and come up with you! I wanted you! I wanted a child! I wanted to have a little one run up to me and shout mommy, a little girl to show me her art projects! When they took my husband and my son away, I thought I would die! For a long time I blocked the pain away. I can do that. But even with all the science in the universe, it starts to leak back. You have to feel pain sometimes, Ryoko, it's what keeps you human."  
  
Washu stopped talking for a minute and regarded her daughter sadly. "So I came up with something. I decided I wanted a little girl, and I made you the opposite of what my son was in physical respects. I even switched it so that you had hair the color of his eyes and eyes the color of his hair. Corny, yes, but that's what I wanted. I made you strong, and smart. I couldn't love another man, but I wanted a child. The only difference between you and other children is that I got to choose your make up. I didn't choose a personality for you, though. I just made sure you would be bright, and strong. And you are, my daughter, you are. But sometimes, you only let your strength show." Washu allowed herself a brief smile. "Most of the time you only let you strength show."  
  
Ryoko glared at her, pretending not to be effected. But inside, her heart had clenched again. She was wanted? Washu had thought of her as more than an experiment, from the beginning? No, that can't be. No one wanted Ryoko.  
  
"The point, though, is that you have always been wanted! You don't remember how Kagato took you, do you? You only remember what he didn't erase. And he erased all the memories of me, and how you were kidnapped. He erased who you used to be." Washu raised her hand as she noticed Ryoko's eyes widening. "I don't mean that you are a completely different person. Since you assimilated Zero, though, you have become more like yourself. That is not a coincidence. Zero stole your memories, and you feelings, so that she was just like you. It just so happened that she tapped into a part of your memories that had been locked away. That is how you used to be."  
  
Ryoko sneered with disgust. Imagine that! She had once been a sniveling ditz. How disturbing.  
  
"Okay, I admit, not quite like that. But she assumed the good parts without getting much of the bad. You are just the opposite."  
  
Ryoko narrowed her eyes slightly.  
  
"That is to say that you have a lot of characteristics that people would consider bad and not much to ..." Washu trailed off, realizing she was digging herself deeper. "You know what I was trying to say."  
  
Ryoko nodded, figuring this was the only way to be released from the field Washu had on her. Damn Washu! How dare she control Ryoko like this! I'm not a doll, Ryoko thought.  
  
"Ryoko? Are you out here?"  
  
Oh, god! It's Tenchi! Ryoko struggled against the numb feeling. She had to get away! She couldn't let him see her so weak!  
  
"Ah, Tenchi," Washu greeted him.  
  
"Oh, hi, little Washu. I was just looking for..." Tenchi stopped as he saw Ryoko.  
  
Ryoko felt her face burn, and she cursed Washu once more for Zero. Then she cursed the little red-haired scientist even more for restricting her movements. She felt like such a child! How dare Washu strip her powers like this!  
  
She stopped struggling against herself and realized that Washu and Tenchi were having a whispered conversation. She stared at them, wishing that she could give Washu a thorough thrashing. As soon as I get out of this field...  
  
"Ryoko," Washu said softly. "Tenchi wishes to speak to you."  
  
Ryoko stared at her, malevolence shining in her eyes. I don't want to talk to Tenchi! I don't want to hear more of that sorry bullshit. I don't want to hear it, damn it!  
  
Washu frowned slightly, and Ryoko wondered if somehow Washu did know what she was thinking. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Ryoko felt sensations returning to her body. She could move! But before she could speak a word, Washu faded out, leaving only her and Tenchi.  
  
"Ryoko..." Tenchi said softly.  
  
Ryoko didn't reply. What was the use? No one cared what she had to say anything. So instead she just shrugged her shoulders, not meeting his eyes.  
  
"It hurts me to see you like this," he said.  
  
And you think it doesn't hurt me, you bastard, she thought bitterly.  
  
"I never meant for this to happen."  
  
And I did?  
  
"Ryoko, please, say something..."  
  
What do you want me to say? Do you want me, the great space pirate, to fall crying at your feet? I think I've said it all already.  
  
"I don't want you to leave."  
  
That did it. She raised her eyes to meet his. "Who the hell do you think you are?" her voice hissed out between her clenched teeth. "You didn't mean for this to happen. It hurt you," she mocked him. "Well, I've got news for you! It hurts me more than you can possibly imagine, and I'm sick of it! I'm sick of no one giving a damn about Ryoko! I'm sick of being the one who is always left out!"  
  
"Ryoko, I do care!" Tenchi blurted out.  
  
She regarded him silently, then lowered her eyes again before he could see the tears that threatened to spill.  
  
"I do care, and I don't want you to leave! But you have to understand-"  
  
"I have to do nothing, Tenchi, except that which pleases me. And right now it would please me to leave."  
  
He was quiet for a few moments, studying her. "Would you really be happy that way?"  
  
No, damn you, but it'll have to do. How much of this princess fawning can I take?  
  
"Do you really want to leave all of us behind?"  
  
It's not you I want to leave behind, Tenchi. It's this damned pain! This hollow ache I have... I can't stand this anymore.  
  
"Ryoko..." Tenchi murmured, reaching out his hand towards her. "I wish I could make you understand."  
  
She jumped as he touched her shoulder. What does he think he's doing? For an instant, she wanted nothing more than for him to hold her in his arms, and make everything all right. Then she remembered. She remembered that he was not hers to hold, to love. She pushed his hand away.  
  
"Don't do this!" he cried, his voice breaking.  
  
"Tenchi," she whispered, then cleared her throat. She raised her face, fully aware that the tears had again won and were sliding down her smooth cheek. "You are the one who has to understand. I must go. But first, you have to leave. Leave here, and don't ever come back. Don't look back, because all you will find are memories that might hurt you."  
  
Tenchi opened his mouth to protest, but she held her hand up. "Go now."  
  
"Ryoko, I won't leave! I do care! I just..."  
  
"You just have someone else," she finished for him. A light glowed in her hand for a second, then her sword materialized.  
  
"What are you doing?" Tenchi asked, startled by the sudden light.  
  
"I am tired, Tenchi," Ryoko said softly, then her face hardened. "And you will go, it if takes this!" With that, she slashed at him.  
  
He jumped back out of the way, his expression showing his distress.   
  
"Get out, now!" She swiped at him once more. She knew deep down that she couldn't hurt him, but she also knew that she had to make him realize just how serious she was.  
  
He took one last look at her, and the pain in his eyes broke her heart all over again. "Goodbye, Ryoko," he managed to get out.  
  
She watched him turn and walk out. Out of her life, she thought. "Oh, gods," she murmured brokenly. For a long time she stood there. Finally, when she felt she could without dissolving into tears, she said two more words. "Goodbye, Tenchi."  



	3. Drunken Dreams

Space. It was beautiful out here. People confined to the ground didn't know true freedom. To be out here, surrounded by darkness and stars… it was absolutely exquisite. Some people were frightened by the nothingness that outer space represented, but Ryoko adored it.

Staring out in the blackness, Ryoko felt comforted. Somehow, seeing the emptiness surrounding her blotted out the hole inside. It was so nice to be free again. Truly free. She had been a captive for so long: first, by Kagato, then by her love for Tenchi. And now, she was on her own.

Ryoko's thought were interrupted by the cabbit-turned-ship. "Just keep heading straight. I want to go to the Ruki system."

The ship miyaed once, then sped up. Ryoko once more was left alone with her thoughts. And that's what I am, she thought. Alone. Just me and my faithful cabbit. That's the way it should be, too. Space pirates aren't supposed to sit in nice little homes and end up being little wives.

"Oh, Ryo-ohki!" Ryoko exclaimed, throwing her arms out and stretching. "Aren't you glad to be back in space? It's so exhilarating!" 

Her smiled faded when she heard the wistful note in Ryo-ohki's reply. She sighed. "I'll miss Sasami, too," she said sincerely. "But we should've known that it wouldn't last."

She threw herself back down in her seat. Blast! She wanted to feel better, not think of the past. What's done is done. "Ah, I know!" Ryoko said with a mischievous smile. She said a few words, and a map appeared on the large screen in front of her. She studied it for a moment, then pointed to a small dot. "Let's stop there!"

A few hours later found Ryoko to be heartily drunk. She giggled as Ryo-ohki tottered over to her and slurred a miya out. "Whash wrong, little one?" Ryoko managed to get out through lips that just didn't seem to want to form words properly.

Ryo-ohki replied by nudging a bowl sitting near her. "Miya!"

"Barshender! Anosher carrot juish and vodka!" Ryoko ordered. She then waved her glass at him, indicating that she wanted more sake.

"Miss, you look quite drunk," the bardender noted.

Ryoko glanced to the left, then to the right. "Thish ish a bar, right?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"Then get me anos-" Ryoko paused, then shaped her lips around the word. "Another drink."

"Yes, ma'am," the bartender said meekly, complying.

"T'ank you," Ryoko said, downing the drink.

Ryo-ohki licked delicately at her "special" carrot juice.

"Sh-see, little one," Ryoko said carefully, working hard not to slur. "We can have a good time on our own!" She stared at her empty glass for a minute. "Bartender!"

The man walked over and gave her a stern look. "Now, look, young lady. I let you slide with that last one, but I'm not going to give you any more! I don't need slobbering drunks in here! This is a respectable place."

She snarled, her fangs protruding from her lip. "Who do you think you're messing with?" she growled, sparks flashing from her eyes

Ryo-ohki stepped between Ryoko and the bartender, chattering at her mistress. Ryoko regarded the little cabbit with an amazingly sharp look for how drunk she was supposed to be, then sighed. She narrowed her golden eyes at the man behind the counter, then slapped down a few coins. "This ought to cover it."

The man nodded, his face still pale from the fury he had seen in her eyes. He watched the little brown furball hop on the shoulder of the mysterious, shrouded woman. She must not want to be known, he thought. She had come in covered in a cape, the voluminous folds concealing her hair and the shadows distorting her facial features. He shuddered as she gave him one last look before sweeping away.

_Morning. So beautiful. The birds are chirping outside, singing their songs. Once, I would not have thought of that. But today I am happy to have things like that. I get up and look around. Ah. There's my green tank top and my shorts. Ugh, this shirt is wrinkled. I toss it aside, then grab a blue shirt._

Pulling the clothes on, I turn and look in the mirror. "Not too bad," I tell myself. Hm. It appears Sasami is already up and preparing breakfast. Good. I'm hungry.

I head downstairs, quietly as a cat. I can hear some laughter. Ayeka must be up already. You know, for a princess, she's really not that bad. I wouldn't ever let her know that, though.

I'm downstairs, and I can see into the foyer. My heart skips a beat. I see Ayeka… and Tenchi. What's going on? Tenchi turns, and sees me. He smiles and I smile back, but I can sense something is different. Instead of giving him my normal good morning glomp, I go and sit at the table. Is it just me or is the floor colder than normal?

Oh, great, Sasami made my favorite! I dig in. There's a bit of conversation going around, but I ignore it. I focus my attention on the princess and Tenchi. There, another look they exchanged. I feel my stomach bunch up, and I suddenly can't eat anymore. I need to get out of here! I need an excuse, any reason. I said something, and it must have been acceptable, because no one gave me a second look. I wonder what it was. Oh, well, no matter. Time to teleport!

The roof. It has become my little sanctuary. The tiles feel hot already. Hot and cold. I can feel those things, though they don't effect me in the way it would a normal human. I guess I need to be able to sense these things if I have someone who is with me who cannot survive extreme temperatures.

Funny, why am I thinking of these things? No matter. I settle myself. I'm probably just imaging things.

I hear a noise. Who … Tenchi? What is he doing here? I look at him questioningly, but he refuses to meet my eyes. This can't be good! My heart clenches, but I tell myself sternly to calm down.

"Ryoko, we need to talk," he says. That's never good. I can hear the conflict in his voice.

"About what, Tenchi?" I try to sound nonchalant, though inside I feel as though I'm going to burst.

"Ryoko…" he says, his beautiful brown eyes finally staring straight into mine.

"T-Tenchi?" my voice breaks. Damn! I sound like a fool!

He stands there, not saying anything for a minute. Then he says it. "Ryoko, I love Ayeka."

I can only stare. Did I really hear that? Did he really say that? No! It can't be! I must be hearing things… why do I feel weak. My knees! W-what's wrong with them?

I fall to the roof. I hear him exclaim something, but I can't make the words out. He touches my shoulder, and I shove his hand roughly away. I feel so faint. I can do this. I pull myself together, and stand back up.

"Please, Ryoko, try to understand," Tenchi pleads.

"Understand?" I ask dumbly, then I give him what I hope is an indignant look. "How dare you!"

"Ryoko, you're so strong! You don't need me!" Tenchi says desperately. His eyes betray him. He's only looking for excuses.

"Save it, Tenchi," I sneer. Please, please don't let me cry, I pray silently. Tsunami, please, help me not to cry… "I don't need your pity, either!"

"I do care, Ryoko! I just love her! I can't help it."

Every word he speaks mocks me. I swallow. The odd lump in my throat is getting bigger, and I'm afraid if I speak I'll mess it up, but I go ahead anyway. "A hell of a lot of good your caring has done me." I put as much bitterness in my voice as possible.

I see that I've hurt him, and though it hurts me more, I get an odd satisfaction out of it. I must really be the horrible person that everyone says I am. What other kind of freak would be happy about hurting the one they love?

"I love you, Ryoko," he says. My breath catches in my throat, but he continues, "But I am in_ love with Ayeka."_

"Damn you!" I curse at him. "You think I'm just a plaything, huh? You had your fun with me! I bet it must've been nice, knowing that you had two women fighting over you! I bet you were really pleased!"

"You don't need me! You can find someone else! You're so strong, and independent! You don't need anyone, anyone at all." Tenchi steps towards me.

I see Ayeka in my mind's eye, sneering at me. I hear her voice telling me that Tenchi would never choose a 'monster woman' over a princess. She was right. She had been so right.

"Please, try to understand," he says once again.

"I have to leave." Was that voice mine? It didn't sound like mine. My tongue didn't feel right, either. It was thick and dry. Maybe that was why my voice didn't sound right.

"No! Don't leave us!" Tenchi cries suddenly.

I again cannot speak. What is wrong with me? I've never felt this way before! I'm a damned space pirate! Not some sissy girl! What… what is he doing? He's reaching for me…No! Don't touch me! Never again!

Why is he looking at me like that? He's holding his face… oh, god! I hit him! I hit Tenchi!_ The one person who cared about me!_

"No!" Ryoko screamed, sitting up straight. Droplets of sweat dotted her forehead. For a minute she was disoriented. Finally, when the pounding in her head slowed a little, she realized that it was just a dream.

No, it wasn't just a dream. It was a nightmare that at one point had actually happened. "Damn!" she swore. It was as though she had relived it. She shuddered.

"Miya!" A crystal popped up in front of Ryoko, and she peered at it blearily. I really drank too much last night, she thought. She squinted harder, trying to focus whatever it was the cabbit wanted her to look at. She drew in a breath.

A spaceship was following her. And, to make matters worse, they seemed to be off-course. She never should have let Ryo-ohki fly on auto-pilot after drinking! She made her way to the front of the ship. Or rather, she stumbled her way. The floor didn't want to stay underneath of her.

Finally, after a lot more steps than was really necessary, she made it. She plopped down into her chair and gazed at the screen. "Damn," she muttered again. Her head pounded, but she acted according to her training. She frowned as that momentarily reminded her of Kagato, but soon refocused on the task at hand. "Ryo-ohki! Ready the laser! Don't fire yet, but don't give him a chance to fire first!"

"Miya!" the ship responded.

Ryoko listened to the sound of the cannons opening. A faint smile traced her lips. "You think you can catch me, Ryoko, off guard?" she said softly. "You have another thing coming!"

A noise right next to her made the space pirate jump, then wince as her head pounded reproachfully. She glanced over, then felt a burst of appreciation. Ryo-ohki had made her coffee! Ryoko still hadn't figured out how the ship managed to do all this, but she was grateful nonetheless.

Gingerly sipping at the hot liquid, she felt her head begin to clear. She had never been able to keep a hangover long, anyway. Another small blessing of being created, she thought wryly.

She stared intently at the spaceship following her. It was bigger than Ryo-ohki. She knew that her little ship was one of the best ships in the universe, though. Anyone who tried to attack her because of the small size of Ryo-ohki would be in for a surprise!

Her slender fingers tapped at her lips, a habit that she did when deep in thought. The other ship didn't seem to be gaining, but it wasn't losing ground either. "For once I wish Mihoshi was around," Ryoko grumbled. "At least then I'd be able to find out who owns that ship."

She studied the screen for a few minutes more, then shrugged and issued a command to Ryo-ohki. The screen in front of her crackled, then a young man appeared on it. "Identify yourself," she said coolly. 

He regarded her with an appraising look. Finally, when it seemed like he was just going to stare at her, he answered. "My name is Hiroshi."

"Well, Hiroshi," Ryoko said, drawling out his name, "do you mind telling me just what you were doing following my ship?"

His eyebrow arched. "Aren't you going to tell me who you are?"

"Oh, do forgive my lack of manner," she replied, though she had no intention of giving herself away. "But I do believe I asked you a question."

Hiroshi shrugged. "How lovely for you."

She snarled. "Are you mocking me?" she demanded, stomping her foot.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing to a beautiful young lady such as yourself," he said smoothly. His deep voice held no hint of laughter.

"Save the sweet talk," Ryoko muttered. "Why are you following my ship?" she asked again.

"If you must know, madam, I am somewhat lost at the moment."

Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she took him in. He's probably lying, she thought. Why would he be all the way out here? Then again, I'm all the way out here. Oh, so what? I got drunk. He's lying. Just another lying, smug, handsome… wait, where did THAT thought come from?

She must've made a face, because the man asked if she was all right. Ryoko snapped a reply back, then scowled. "I must warn you, if you aren't lost and you had planned on attacking my ship, I am well prepared to fight back and I will destroy you."

The look on Hiroshi's face was not what she had expected or wanted. A trace of a smile touched his lips, and much to her annoyance, she found herself thinking that he was even handsomer when he looked smug.

"You're a tough little one, aren't you?" he asked, his little grin turning into a smirk. His blue-green eyes sparkled. "Let's make a deal."

"What kind of deal?" she inquired wearily.

"Oh, nothing much. You seem to want a fight, and if truth be known, I'm rather bored of floating about aimlessly," he said.

"And the point you are getting at is…?"

"The point is,' he said patiently, "that I would like to duel. Winner takes all."

"What?" she exclaimed. "Are you crazy?"

"Nah," he said with a flick of his wrist. "If you're so sure of your little ship then take me on. You'd have everything to gain and nothing to lose."

"You're absolutely insane!" Ryoko cried. "I will not!"

The blonde-haired man leaned forward and punched in a few keys on the console. A few seconds later, a bolt shot out from his ship and smashed into hers!

"What the hell are you doing? Ryo-ohki! Report damage!" There was none. She smiled at Hiroshi. "Well, now. That was a free shot. You'd better not try that again."

In response, he pressed yet another key. This time, though, she was prepared and she maneuvered Ryo-ohki out of the way. Orienting quickly, she fired off a shot at him. Score!

"Ah, fair lady," Hiroshi said, though his voice was a little strained. "Before we go any further, what name shall I call you?"

"I am the Space Pirate Ryoko," she declared proudly, and was rewarded by seeing the recognition in his eyes. 

But still, he said nothing. She tensed, realizing that she wasn't going to get off that easily. A strange feeling came over her. She was a bit distressed at having to fight and destroy someone again, but at the same time her blood stirred and she felt alive. This kind of fear was the kind she liked. It was the kind that pushed her to be better. Victory would be hers!

The two ships circled each other, and occasionally a laser beam would shoot out from one ship. Ryoko felt her patience wearing thin, though her blood lust had faded and she no longer wanted to hurt him. She never did have the ability to sit in one spot for long and plan things out.

"Dammit," she muttered. "Make your move. Make a foolish move, just come on. I don't want to hurt you, bastard. I just want you to leave me alone."

More time passed. Finally, Ryoko's limit snapped. She attacked. She felt Ryo-ohki take a few hits, but nothing she couldn't handle. She fired full force at the other ship. Somewhere in the back of her mind she realized that she was taking out her frustration on Hiroshi, but then she decided she really didn't care. He provoked her, not the other way around.

The other ship finally slipped into offensive mode. Ryoko watched in morbid fascination as her little ship took several shots, and yet it didn't slow them down one bit. She snapped out some instructions then smiled smugly as Ryo-ohki completed them flawlessly. She wasn't prepared, however, for the explosion that rocked the ship, slamming Ryoko back into her chair and causing an eruption of light and pain in her head.


	4. Extra (And Unwelcome) Cargo

Angel - Chapter Four - By Tilena

"Ugh," Ryoko groaned, blinking furiously. Her head hurt even worse than it had before. She reached up and felt a particularly sore spot on her head, and furrowed her brow. What had happened to cause that?

"I see you're up, sleeping beauty," a voice said dryly.

She turned to look at the owner of the voice, then winced. Her head throbbed and worse, in front of her was the reminder as to WHY it hurt. She glared. "What are you doing on my ship?"

"Hell if I know," he shrugged. "One minute my ship went bam! The next… I was here."

Ryoko sighed, rubbing her head. "You moron." She sat up, dangling her long legs over the edge of the bed and regarded Hiroshi thoughtfully. "So your ship is gone?"

His gray eyes narrowed. 'Yes, my ship is gone," he spat angrily, then drew himself up to his full height. He was rather tall, Ryoko noted, standing a good eight Earth inches taller than her. "I don't know how I ended up here, but I assure you, I had no intention of things turning out this way."

"Yeah, with your ship blown all to hell," Ryoko agreed, smirking.

Hiroshi snarled, his handsome face twisting. "If it wasn't for you—"

"If it wasn't for me defending myself against an idiot like you," Ryoko interrupted, then waved her hand. "Ryo-ohki must've saved you."

"Who?"

"My ship. You know, the one you thought you could defeat."

"Amazing," he mused, looking around. "You must have a very sophisticated AI program."

"Not an AI," Ryoko said. She frowned. "Why aren't you hurt?"

"My ship may have been destroyed, but it is also very advanced," he replied. "It has a program designed to protect in case of emergencies. I feel fine, pretty much."

"Wonderful," Ryoko muttered. "I feel sick. However, that could be due to your presence."

He gave her a sour look. "I never asked for this."

"You attacked me, you fool. Anyone who does that is asking to have their ass kicked."

"Win some, lose some."

She just growled in response.

"Hey, do you have any food on this ship?"

"First you attack me, then you complain about being rescued, and now you want food?"

Hiroshi glowered. "A man has to eat, you know."

"Fine, fine. Exit out of my _room_," she said, putting an accent on room, "and go two doors down. There should be some provisions in there."

He bowed to her slightly. "Thank you, madam."

She sighed. It appeared that she was stuck with him for the time being. Her head ached and she didn't feel quite steady, but she got to her feet anyway. Giving up walking, she instead flew out to the cockpit area.

"You call this food?" Hiroshi asked, holding up a packet of noodles and dried fish.

She turned her head and glowered. "What the hell do you want? This stuff is great!"

"It's weird," he replied.

"You sound like a kid!" she retorted. "Just shut up and eat it." She turned away from him and glanced back at the controls. Now, to get back on course, she told herself.

"Hey," Hiroshi interrupted her thoughts. "Where are you going?"

"The Ruki system," she answered.

"Wow, you're really off course."

Ryoko turned and regarded him with glittering gold eyes. "Oh, really? I hadn't noticed," she snapped.

"Well, excuse me," he said, shrugging.

"You know, I never wanted to pick you up! If it wasn't for the fact that Ryo-ohki decided to play rescue you'd be floating around out there!"

"Oh, yes," he said, swallowing. "You didn't explain about this Ryo-ohki."

"She's my ship," Ryoko said shortly, wishing that her vision would focus right on something. Either that or she'd settle for Hiroshi to cease his chatter.

"You talk about her as if she was alive," Hiroshi noted, then jumped as a crystal popped up near him.

"Miya!" the little cabbit's face in the crystal said.

"What the hell is that?" Hiroshi exclaimed, almost dropping the noodle he had been munching on.

"It's Ryo-ohki," Ryoko said with a trace of a smile. "Oh, yeah. There's one other thing."

"What's that?"

"Those noodles taste better when you cook them."

She watched him in amusement as his eyes dropped down to the noodles in his hand, then back up to her face. His own face turned a crimson color. "C-cook?" he sputtered.

"Yes, you know. Generally that's what people do when they prepare food," Ryoko said patiently.

He barked out something inarticulate, then stormed out of the cockpit. She waited. Seconds later she heard footsteps. "Where is the kitchen?"

She told him the way, then leaned back in her chair, a smug grin on her face. She quickly sobered up, though, as she regarded the map in front of her. He was right. They were headed the wrong way by about 60º. In fact, they were farther from Ruki than they were when Ryoko made that stupid decision to stop at the bar. The stop that had led her to go off course and subsequently get an extra, unwanted passenger.

Well, there was one good thing about this whole encounter, she told herself. Hiroshi was sure to provide a great deal of amusement.

He seemed to be young, about twenty-five in Earth years. Ryoko smiled. Earth years were ever so much shorter than the measurements they used in space! But then again, Earthlings had a much shorter life span. Ryoko was much, much older than she cared to admit. Then again, she thought bitterly, I was created. I wasn't conceived in the normal fashion. Well, at least Washu had thought enough of her experiment to make her suitably powerful.

Her eyes drifted down to the gem on her left wrist, then to the matching one on her right. Tenchi had eventually given her all three gems from the Tenchi-ken. She closed her eyes, remembering that day. She thought that it symbolized something, but apparently it meant nothing to him. The warmth in his eyes as he pressed the red orbs into her hands – did she just imagine that?

"Hey, Miss Space Pirate, just how do I use this kitchen? This stove has at least ten knobs!" Hiroshi called.

Ryoko opened her eyes slowly and gritted her teeth. Washu had made that stove special for the ship, and it had taken Ryoko at least five hours to figure out how to do it all and memorize it. She started getting out of the chair, then paused. She remembered! She remembered when the red-haired scientist had patiently told her the stove's instructions!

"Hurry up!" Hiroshi said. "I'm hungry!"

Ryoko snarled, her fangs protruding momentarily, then teleported to the kitchen. It took her a minute to adjust, her eyes scanning the area quickly. The table with its two levitating chairs, the countertop with the smooth gray surface, the large refrigerator, and other appliances came into sight. Walking across the room to where Hiroshi stood by the stove, she turned some knobs and placed the pot on a burner. "There."

"Geez, this thing is complicated," Hiroshi muttered.

"Yeah, no thank you or anything," Ryoko sighed, then turned to leave. This was going to be one long trip.

That night, as Ryoko lay in her bed, she reflected back on the day. It had been odd, having someone else on her ship. A stranger, no less! But there hadn't been any place to leave him, and she just didn't have the heart to dump him out in space. He was civil to her, for the most part, though he made it clear that he despised being here with her.

Ryoko sighed. She didn't want to be stuck here with this bloated jerk. That little nagging conscience that she had developed certainly was irritating. No, not developed, her mind said. It was always there. Kagato just suppressed it. "Whatever," Ryoko said out loud. "Either way, I'm SOL."

"Miyaaa," a voice by her said softly. Ryoko smiled. "I'm glad that I have you, though, Ryo-ohki."

"Miya!"

"That guy sure is pushy." Ryoko sighed and turned over restlessly. "And my head is killing me! We should have brought some of those Earth drugs, aspirin, whatever they're called, along."

He's not so bad, though, that pesky little voice in her head said faintly. "Yes, he is!" she snapped, ignoring the fact that she was arguing with herself. Angrily, she punched the bed. "I can't get –OOMPH- comfortable," she growled, then lay still for a moment. Her eyes turned to the large window near the foot of the bed. There were only a few stars visible from this angle, but the little dots somehow reassured her.

This all only seemed like a dream. Somewhere in her mind she thought she was going to wake up back at the Masaki residence. She closed her eyes, and for just an instant, she imagined that she was back on her rafter. The image didn't last long, however, as the soft blankets beneath her penetrated her senses. This is real, she told herself. The way things are now. That time on Earth was just pretend. I'm Ryoko, the monster woman space pirate!

Her eyes wandered around the room. For the first time, she noticed how bare it was. There wasn't one thing in here that really said it was Ryoko's place. She frowned. Tomorrow she'd have to change that. But how? It wasn't as though she had brought any of her Earthly possessions with her. Hell, she didn't _have_ any Earthly possessions.

Ryoko's gaze fell upon a dusty lump in the corner. She frowned. What could that be, she asked herself. Closer inspection found that it was an old rag doll. Her eyebrows came together in concentration. How could this be here? And… why did it seem familiar? This was a new Ryo-oh-ki. The old one had long ago been destroyed. Ryoko felt a twinge, but she consoled herself with the fact that this Ryo-ok-ki was really the same creature. She had been created from the cells of the old one.

She scolded herself. This wasn't about the ship! Her fingers caressed the doll gently, causing a prick to go up her spine. There was something here that she wasn't quite remembering, she was sure of it! But what could it be?

Ryoko blew some of the dust off of the doll. It had short, red hair and big green eyes. In fact, it looked like Washu!

The space pirate let out a growl. How dare Washu put this here! Of all the nerve…

And yet, she knew that wasn't true. How could Washu have moved this doll here without Ryoko knowing? Furthermore, it was obvious that the doll hasn't been moved in quite a while. The few times that the ship had been used since Ryoko's release had not included an invasion of this room. It was her private space, and they had respected that. Besides which, she thought bitterly, they weren't interested in anything that had to do with her. She was here, and that was more than enough for them.

She threw herself down on the bed, holding the doll above her. She stared at it, trying to penetrate the secret of where she had seen it before. A picture of an adult Washu flashed into her mind.

Ryoko shook her head. That couldn't be right… could it? She closed her eyes again, trying to remember. It was on the tip of her memory; she could feel it! She couldn't quite get it, though.

Annoyed, she dropped the doll down onto her stomach. What was it that she was missing? What little piece of the puzzle…

Again, she thought of Washu. Could she have given this to Ryoko? Ryoko rolled onto her side, causing the doll to slide down onto the bed next to her. She regarded it with glittering eyes. Another image pushed itself to the front of her brain, this one of the doll being in a room. The room was oddly familiar. Ryoko concentrated, trying to sharpen her memory. It was… it was… damn! It slipped away from her.

Exhaustion won out over her want to figure this out, though, and Ryoko gave in to the heaviness that stole over her eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~

All right! I haven't written a note yet, so now's as good a time as any.

I apologize for the long time inbetween my updates, but I'm very busy. So, so sorry. ^_^;; Also, an added apology for the shortness of this chapter. I'll try to do better next time.

Thanks to everyone who leaves a comment! I really enjoy getting them -- they make me feel like what I do does have a purpose!

As with all the other fanfics, I do not own Tenchi or any of the characters associated with that TV show. In fact, I don't own any anime characters. Wah! I'm POOR, dammit. However, Hiroshi is mines. Mines, mines, mines! *Glomps him*

Welp, this concludes this session of "Tila's Notes!" Please tune in next time... -_^


	5. Reflections and Mysterious Shadows

"Tenchi?"

"Hey, Tenchi!"

Tenchi jumped about a foot in the air as a pair of bright blue eyes appeared about two inches away from his own brown eyes. "Mihoshi!" he shouted. "What are you doing?"

"Uh, well, we've been calling your name for about ten minutes, Tenchi," Mihoshi said, putting her finger on her chin and regarding him. "Didn't you hear us?"

"No," Tenchi replied, a look of irritating crossing his face. He turned and walked out of the room, ignoring the confused looks.

"Lord Tenchi," Ayeka's soft voice came to him. "What is wrong?"

He sighed. The only time Ayeka was that formal anymore was when she was worried. He closed his eyes, then opened them slowly. As annoyed as he was, he couldn't help but to smile when he saw Ayeka's face. Her delicate looks had always captivated him, and combined with that gaze of concern, she was absolutely beautiful. He flushed as he realized he was staring, and looked at the ground. "Nothing's wrong, Ayeka."

She echoed his sigh. "Tenchi, we need to talk." Taking the initiative for once, she placed her hand on his arm and guided him outside.

"It's nothing, Ayeka, really," Tenchi said, trying to reassure her.

For a while she said nothing. She then seated herself on the ground, her crimson colored eyes never leaving him. Her hands plucked at small stalks of grass, the expression on her face thoughtful. Finally, when Tenchi didn't think he could stand the silence or the look anymore, she turned away from him. "Tenchi, things are not the same anymore."

"What do you mean, Ayeka?" he asked, a cold feeling of dread washing over him.

Her voice was proper as always, but it held a note of sadness. "I do miss Ryoko, too, as you should know."

Tenchi's breath caught in his throat. "R-Ryoko?" he stammered.

"Do not try to deny that she is on your mind," Ayeka said softly. "She is on all of our minds, Tenchi. Lately, though, you have been scaring all of us."

Tenchi hung his head, not knowing what to say.

"And unless you are studying the varieties of grass with Miss Washu," Ayeka said, a hint of teasing in her tone, "you really ought to look at someone while they are speaking to you."

Tenchi fidgeted, first crossing and uncrossing his arms then running a hand through his hair. "Ryoko left us so suddenly, Ayeka."

"I know, Tenchi, but when you chose me…" she trailed off, her face taking on a pink tinge. "You knew that something would come of it."

"I never wanted her to leave, though."

"None of us did, Tenchi. Even when we were fighting, I still regarded her as a friend. Without her around, it is odd. Ryoko was a space pirate, and a ruffian, but she was not too bad underneath. Once you get to know her, that is."

"I wonder if she is all right," Tenchi said, his eyes turning towards the sky briefly.

"Undoubtedly," Ayeka said almost dryly. "Ryoko was a space pirate, and she's not stupid. She is more intelligent than all of us give her credit for."

"Maybe if I hadn't chosen anyone," Tenchi started, then broke off as he saw the frightened look in Ayeka's eyes. "No, no, don't look like that. I'm not undoing it."

She flushed again, but this time it was with discomfort. "I know that, my love," she said gently. "Sometimes, though, I wonder if maybe you do regret your decision." With that said, Ayeka gathered herself up and walked off.

Tenchi watched her graceful form leave, shame darkening his eyes. I don't love Ryoko, though, he told himself. Not that way, at least. Ayeka is my princess. She's smart, sweet, beautiful, intelligent, refined… Ryoko is beautiful and sweet, I suppose, in her own way, but Ayeka is so very special.

The boy frowned, a shadow passing over his face. He was only nineteen! What nineteen-year-old had to make this kind of decision? Granted, they had been with him for a few years, and he supposed that they deserved to know, but he wasn't sure that he would have settled down with someone if circumstances were different.

But they aren't different, Tenchi's mind shouted. And I don't regret knowing Ayeka, or any of them! Or my decision! I just wish I knew Ryoko was okay…

"HIROSHI!" Ryoko shouted, banging her fist down on the table.

"Yes?" Hiroshi's head peeked into the kitchen, soon followed by the rest of his body.

"Clean up this mess!" She gestured to the plates and crumbs strewn around. She had put up with quite a lot since she had acquired this extra passenger, but this was ridiculous!

He looked at her, his gray eyes widening. "But, Ryoko, aren't you the female?" he asked innocently.

She shot him a look that would have put him six feet under if looks could kill. "You are a slob!"

"You're a fine one to talk!" he retorted, gazing at her with an almost smug look 

"Clean up this damn kitchen!" she yelled, hurling a sponge at him.

He sniffled as it hit his leg. "Owie!" With an exaggerated limp he made it over to the sink and filled it up with water. He dipped the sponge in and made a few passes across the table.

"Thank you!" Ryoko said, then turned to walk out. SPLAT! A wet sponge smacked her in the back of the head. She whirled around, her face taking on a scarlet tinge.

"Oops. It slipped," Hiroshi said contritely, innocence written across his features.

"Oh, it slipped?" Ryoko asked, her voice dripping with syrup.

He sweatdropped. "Uhh… yeah."

"Slip this!" Ryoko said, dashing over to the sink and splashed a wave of water towards him.

"Why, you!" Hiroshi sputtered. His hair was matted down to his head, the long silky strands dark with water.

Ryoko giggled as he glared at her from underneath the drab golden mop. "Tsk, what comes around goes around."

"I can't believe you did that, Ryoko!"

"You're just mad because I bested you," she taunted, wagging her finger at him.

"Well, now you have to help me," he stated, throwing her a rag.

She caught it, then frowned at the piece of ratty cloth in her hand. "Why do I have to help? You started!"

"Because, little space pirate, you finished. Now come on," Hiroshi said, starting to wipe at the mess.

Ryoko muttered something under her breath, then got down to business. Actually, it wasn't so bad, she thought. It's much more interesting than traveling alone. And he's not that bad of a guy. Wait! What am I thinking? she asked herself, arching an eyebrow.

"What are you thinking about with that intense look on your face?"

"Huh?" Ryoko said intelligently, then glared. "Hey, are you making fun of me?" She waved the rag at him threateningly.

"No! Not at all!" Hiroshi said, holding his hands up. "I was just wondering."

"Hmph," Ryoko grunted, working hard at a spot that wouldn't quite come off.

"You know, you're always so serious!" Hiroshi commented.

She blinked, not expecting that remark. "I am not serious!"

"You are too," he insisted. "For the three days that I have known you, well, I've never seen you smile happily. You get that little smirk on your face, but otherwise you're always so… sulky."

"I am not sulky!"

"Yes, you are! I don't know what bit your ass, but it must still sting," he said.

Ryoko stiffened and felt her face flush. "My attitude and my life is none of your business!" she replied tartly.

"Geez, Ryoko, lighten up! For a pirate, you sure aren't any fun!"

She stood up straight, her lips tightening. "I think that is enough cleaning for me for now," she announced, then teleported to her room. Infuriated, she punched the wall, then apologized at Ryo-oh-ki's protest. "God, that man knows how to punch my buttons!" she muttered.

"Ryoko?"

"What are you doing here?" she snapped, not bothering to turn around.

"I just wanted to say," he started, then coughed. " … to say that I'm sorry."

She froze, then scoffed. "This is just a joke, right? Another one of your pranks."

"No, no joke," Hiroshi said. "I don't say it often and actually mean it, but please believe me."

She snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure. Then you're going to laugh at me when I tell you that I forgive you?"

"Ryoko, I was serious when I said that you are somber. I don't know what happened to make you that way, and I'm not asking you to open up to me. I guess I have been kind of a jerk, but I just am trying to get you to loosen up. You're way too tense all the time!"

She regarded him while chewing on her lower lip thoughtfully. "No tricks?" she asked cautiously.

"No tricks," he assured her solemnly. "You can hit me with one of those blasts of yours if it is."

She stared at him for a few minutes more. "You do realize that if I do that you might be fried Hiroshi?"

"Might? More than likely I will be," he replied. "But I'm willing to take that risk."

She hesitated for a minute more, than smiled. "I forgive you." In the back of her mind, she was calculating the distance between the two of them and figuring on having to most extra fast as he jetted out the door.

Much to her surprise, though, he merely bowed and thanked her before leaving. She stared after him, wondering what brought this change on. "They always said don't look a gift horse in the mouth," she muttered. "Whatever that means. Why would I want to look in a horse's mouth, anyway?" Shrugging to herself, she set to checking the trip course, all the while a small smile touching her lips.

"Are the preparations ready?" a deep yet feminine voice asked, her tone bordering on impatience.

"Soon, my lady, soon."

"Very well." Vivid green eyes glared out from the darkness. They seemed to enhance the irritation thinly veiled in her voice. "Now leave me!"

She watched them leave. Here she was, the most powerful being in the universe, balked by rules! The rules! She could have spat in disgust. Somewhere, in her infinite insight, she admitted that having the rules had made things a lot easier. For one thing, it kept the lesser ones in line. However, in this instance it only hindered her. That was unacceptable.

However "evil" she was, she still thought of herself as a creature (was that an appropriate word to describe one such as she) of honor. There would be consequences if she broke the code.

Her lip curled in loathing. Imagine! Her Divinity, as she preferred to be called by most of the peons, having to answer to anyone! Everyone was inferior, and yet they could pass judgement on her? And even more intolerable was the fact that she had to let them!

"My lady," a hissing voice came from the center of the room.

She blinked, then frowned. It was Farak, a disgusting reptilian creature that she would have much preferred not to have around. She hadn't noticed him enter, an occurrence that was rare indeed. "What is it?" she snapped.

He bowed. "In what will probably only seem like a minute to one as great as you, with an endless lifespan," he began in a tone that made the Lady wonder if she only imagined the insolent sarcasm. She dismissed the thought as he continued, "we will be ready."

"How much time, Earth style?" she inquired icily, focusing her concentration on the tiny planet.

"About three days, my lady," he replied, his beady eyes darting about.

Her eyes flashed impetuously. "Well? Get on with it!" she commanded.

He bowed again, then left. She shuddered. There was something about him that would have made her skin crawl if she reacted in normal human fashion. Created from dark magic and given high intelligence, he was able to carry out orders and be of high rank within the hierarchy but was horrendous to look at.

The lips of her current human form twisted, causing a warped smile to pervade her face. The hierarchy that most of the humans now knew nothing about. Soon, though, they would. Soon.


	6. A Book for Your Thoughts

__

Ahh. There he is! My Tenchi! I love him so. I really do. Of course, it's hard to say things like that when you're not the only person vying for his love, but at least I knew it in my heart. I have known him since he was young enough to walk up to my cave, after all!

Tenchi turned and looked at me. My heart almost leapt out of my chest with joy at the sight of his gorgeous face. I could go on and on about how beautiful he is - but really, I would feel like I was talking to myself then.

"Hello, Ryoko," he greeted me. His voice was a melody to my ears. Let's see… what should I do? I know!

I smiled sweetly. "Hello, my Tenchi."

He blushed slightly at this, but didn't push me away like he normally did. "Oh, Ryoko? I have a question." His brown eyes failed to meet mine for a second, as though this was hard for him to say.

"Yes, Tenchi?" I replied, trying to sound flippant, though I was curious enough to kill the cat.

"Well, come over here first. I don't want to be interrupted," he said, smiling.

My eyes widened; what could he have in mind? I would've followed him to the ends of the Earth to hear this, but luckily it was only to the cave. Puzzled, I glanced between the gray, rocky mouth of the cave where I had been imprisoned for so long and Tenchi. Deciding his face was much more inviting, I fixed my gaze on it.

"Well, Ryoko, this must seem pretty weird, huh?" Tenchi commented with a nervous chuckle. He suddenly didn't seem like the guy who had been confident back in front of the house.

"It does, but what were you going to ask me?" I tried not to sound eager, but I probably failed miserably.

"I just… wanted to… bring you out here for…" Tenchi stammered, growing more and more red.

"For…?" I prompted.

His face twisted. "For the execution that you should've gotten 800 years ago!" he snarled.

I stared at him, then burst out laughing. "Tenchi, what are you talking about? Cut it out."

"This is no joke, Ryoko," he said calmly. "I ask you to kneel before me and allow me to take your life peacefully. However, if you resist, I shall take whatever steps necessary to finish the task."

The forest had gotten quiet… too quiet. It was unreal. Or was it surreal? Did it matter? He had to be joking… right? This was my Tenchi here, telling me that he was going to kill me? "T-tenchi?" I stammered, unable to form any other coherent words.

"Fine, have it your way, wretch," he shrugged. "It makes no difference to me." He reached behind him and when I could once again see his hand it held the Tenchi-ken. From its end a blue light flared into existence, casting an eerie glow on Tenchi's face. He no longer looked like the boy I loved. His kind features had been replaced with those of a monster's - cold and cruel. He laughed at the dismay that was probably evident on my face, a high pitched, mirthless laugh.

"No!" I heard myself shout, then I turned and ran. I don't know how long I ran for. It could've been minutes; it could've been hours. It didn't really matter, because I could hear his footsteps falling close behind me. I wanted to fly for I knew that he couldn't get to me while I was in the air, but I seemed to have been deprived of this particular talent. My lungs felt as though they were about to burst, but still I pushed on. Just as I felt the lack of air overtake me and the world seemed to have gotten a lot more black spots than I remembered it ever having, I slammed into something hard. Whatever oxygen that was still in my lungs violently left me and I must've bounced back a few feet.

Blind to whatever hit me, I struggled to get back to my feet and away from the one that was stalking me - the very man I loved. Arms wrapped around me and held me tightly. "Let me go!" I shrieked. "He's going to get me!"

"Ryoko, it's okay," a smooth voice comforted me

__

"No, it's not! He's going to kill me! Let me go, you fool!" I struggled, but he was stronger than I was.

"Wake up!" the voice commanded.

Wake… up?

"Ryoko, it's okay now…"

Ryoko blinked, her mind and eyes still blurry from sleep. "Hiroshi?" she rasped, her throat painfully dry.  


"Yes, it's me? Are you okay?"  


"Yeah… I just… I had a nightmare," she whispered, feeling foolish. Slowly, as her mind unclouded, her room aboard Ryo-oh-ki came into focus. The soft browns of the chamber were soothing to her overtaxed nerves and Ryoko breathed in and out deeply. As she calmed down she noticed something else: she was leaning against Hiroshi and he was stroking her hair protectively. She felt her face burn. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" she demanded.

"I was just, umm," he cleared his throat, "my, uh… I have to go now!" He stumbled out of the soft bed and out the door, his nightshirt and pajama pants wrinkled and his normally perfect hair was sticking out in all directions. All in all, it was a cute picture, and Ryoko smiled to herself as she lay back down on the small bed.

***

"Hey, Ryoko!" Hiroshi shouted above the buzz of the crowded shopping center. His voice carried like a foghorn. Suddenly, it didn't seem so loud in there as every person stopped talking and froze, glancing about anxiously.

Ryoko sighed. "What?" she asked, feeling like a zoo exhibit as some sound returned in the form of whispers surrounding her. Her head ached.

"Let's get something to eat, okay? I'm starving!" Hiroshi flashed her a big smile.

"I think you eat more than I do," Ryoko muttered before following him. The crowd parted as if they were afraid to touch her, and oddly enough it just made her feel more claustrophobic. C'mon, Ryoko, buck up! The old you would've never felt this way! she thought. Then again, the old me would blast them into nirvana.  


"Ryo-_ko_!" Hiroshi whined. "Come on!" He seemed oblivious to the scene that he had caused, and it infuriated Ryoko to stand alone while being surrounded by a ton of people. Suppressing an urge to glare at Hiroshi and the crowd, she phased out onto the roof away from the gawking idiots.

Damn it. Every since she had arrived on this crappy little planet it had been like this. She just wanted to get to that one planet in the Ruki system and yet they kept making detours! "I want food. I want to walk on a stationary thing. I was this, I want that," she mimicked Hiroshi in a high-pitched voice.

She had to admit that she was happier now that they were getting along. After that dream they had called a truce of sorts, and it worked. For now, anyway. It was weird, though. He had suggested this deviation, like he had the others, and yet it didn't seem to be for him at all. Ugh! He was so confusing! And she really didn't like going out around people.

Everyone seemed to think she was going to slice them up just for looking at her but they couldn't take their eyes off of her. She hated it! She didn't want to be a freak show. She just wanted to be… well, normal. It wasn't something that she was used to craving, but hell, if it got her away from the stares it was worth it. And that thought was weird in itself. Wasn't she the notorious Ryoko, the one who loved attention? Wasn't that who she was? So why did she want to hide now?

She shook her head. I wonder what that idiot is doing, she said to herself. It was a good thing that the real world had a much more advanced way of dealing with currency than Earth's old-fashioned money. Then again, it had evolved a lot since she was locked away in that cold, dark cave. Hiroshi had to show her a few things, though she attributed her lack of knowledge to being on a backwater planet. At least that much was true, and he accepted it. Or, she conceded, he did not press further. Good thing, too. She had no desire to tell him of her imprisonment or her friends back on Earth.

It was odd that he had accepted her. Maybe it was because he was a pirate of sorts himself. He did not steal the way she did. The way she _had_, she corrected herself. But he did like to fight, as was evident by the day they first met. Later on he admitted that he had hit the sake too hard that night, but it still revealed his true nature. Things that people would never do while sober and in control they let loose with when they had a bit of drink in them. It was funny, really. Some people think that when they are drunk the drink makes them do things. Maybe in some ways this was true, but it was more true that they just wanted to do them and never had an excuse to before, or never had the ability to just let go before. 

Ryoko smiled bitterly. What she wouldn't give for a drink right now… Kagato had never let her drink. At least, not while she was on the job. And then afterwards, she would try to drown herself in it. There had been times when she almost killed herself, times when the alcohol had made up a large percent of her blood stream. He had beat her after that, but the scant amount of time that she could forget what she was going through while she was intoxicated was worth the abuse afterwards.

Though she hated being under the control of Kagato, Ryoko had to admit that she had learned a lot. Her mind always seemed to absorb information. She supposed now that she was probably designed this way. Designed, like a machine. Washu had done a good job. The princess and the others always thought that she was pretty stupid. Hell, even Tenchi probably did, but in truth her intelligence might have surpassed all of theirs, given the proper environment. She never had the chance, though. She never proved to them how much value that she had…

Sitting on the top of the mall with the land beneath spreading out like a three dimensional blanket reminded Ryoko of when Tenchi had first seen her true form. He hadn't known who she was as her astral form. He had no idea that she was the demon that he was warned against since he could walk, and probably before. And when he saw her as she was in the cave, well, it wasn't pretty. He ran when she tried to kiss him. Then again, that hadn't changed when she got back her attractive form.

"Well," she said aloud, pulling herself away from the memories. "I guess I ought to go see what that idiot male has gotten himself into."

She phased back into the mall, high above the crowd. It wouldn't do to cause more of a stir. Her eyes flicked back and forth as she scanned around for Hiroshi, but she couldn't see him anywhere. Damn it! Where had that infernal person gone off to?

She growled quietly and flew slowly down the mall. The goal was not to attract attention, and so far she was doing a good job of reaching it.

Finally, Ryoko spotted the golden haired irritant making his way out of a store. She eyed him suspiciously, immediately noticing the plastic bag he now carried. She waved to him, and then felt foolish as his line of sight was no more towards her as any of the other of the mall's patrons.

She sighed, then teleported down to a spot nearby that would attract minimal attention. As he passed by, her slender hand darted out and grabbed onto his arm and yanked him towards her. "Guess who," she hissed in his ear, then burst into a fit of giggles as Hiroshi glared at her.

"I was worried about you!" he growled, ignoring her guffaws.

"Yeah? So?" she shrugged, her laughter starting to taper off. "As if I care."

"You should," he grumbled, then regarded her critically. "Where were you?"

"Off," she replied evasively. "What's in the bag?"

"Something," he countered in the same tone.

"Hiroshi!" she whined, her eyes glittering.

"No, Ryoko. You disappeared on me," he reproved. "I _was_ worried."

"Pooh! It wasn't that big of a deal. Anyway, I never would have taken off if you hadn't been hell bent on embarrassing me!"

He frowned. "I was not trying to embarrass you." He started walking again. "You're unashamed of anything."

Ryoko sniffed, only half-pretending to be hurt. "Yeah, you would think that." Though her face has the same animation, inside her heart gave a little wretch. Does everyone think I'm just a heartless beast?

"Come now, Ryoko! I'm still hungry, and I know you've got an appetite on you," he teased, oblivious to her thoughts.

"If I eat, will you tell me what's in the bag?"

"My, my, Ryoko. Don't you know that curiosity killed the cat?" His eyes wandered meaningfully towards her tail. She grumbled some more, but allowed herself to be led towards the cafeteria.

Ten minutes and twelve bowls of rice later, Ryoko and Hiroshi were relatively sated. "Well, does little Ryoko want to know what's in the bag now?" he asked.

She stiffened, hearing the term that Washu had so often called her. "Why did you call me that?"

"Huh?" He looked at her, confused.

"Uhh… nothing. Just thinking out loud!" Ryoko covered less than gracefully. "Show me!" she said, desperately hoping to change the subject.

"Well, okay," he said, then slid the bag across the table to her. "You have to open it."

"You're cheap when it comes to presentation, huh?" Ryoko commented, then reached inside the bag. Her hand connected with a hard object, and she pulled it out. Her face showed her evident puzzlement when she saw a glittery but otherwise plain red book.

"Tah-da!" Hiroshi exclaimed. "I thought you might like it."

She opened it up and stared at the blank black pages. "Uhh… a book with no words?" She tried to sound enthusiastic but failed miserably.

He chuckled. "Haven't you ever heard of a journal?" When she shook her head, he continued. "Look into the bag again."

Her questing found a silver colored pen. She looked at it for a minute, then her eyes widened. "Wait a second! Does this mean that _I_ am the one who is going to be writing in the book?" she asked, awed.

"Wow, I can't believe there is a girl in this universe who has never had a journal before," Hiroshi commented, smiling. "Yes, you're supposed to write in it. I got it because I thought you might want to write down your dreams, but you could use it for other things, too."

"Other things? Like what?"

"Oh, whatever is on your mind. Uhh… poetry? Do you write that? Or a short story, or just your thoughts…"

"What! Why would I leave something like that around for people to read?" Ryoko asked, looking suspiciously at Hiroshi.

"Ryoko, you silly thing!" he laughed. "Believe me, I won't look at it. I know how girls can be about that kind of thing."

She stared at the sparkling red book, then back up at him. "Hold on there. The pages are black. How can I write something if the pages are black? Everyone knows that ink doesn't show up well on a dark background."

"Well, try it out with the pen I got you."

Reluctantly, almost waiting for his laughter, Ryoko scribbled down her name on the first page. To her amazement, the ink was the same color as the pen itself – silver! She gasped.

"It's called a gel pen. They are, like, totally the new rage," he said, mocking the teenager that had helped him at the store.

She stared at the book, then at the pen, and finally back at Hiroshi. "I-I don't know what to say."

Hiroshi suddenly looked nervous, his gray eyes looking stormy. "I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"

"Well, it's just that… that…" Ryoko swallowed, her face flushing. "It's just that no one has ever bought anything for me," she finished in a rush.

"Oh…"

"And I wasn't really expecting it, you know? It was really quite… shocking…"

"It's not that big of a deal," Hiroshi assured her, afraid that maybe she thought it was too much.

"Oh, but it is," she returned. "Gifts are very precious things, Hiroshi."

"Are they, Ryoko?"

"Mm," she nodded. "It really means a lot to me…"

He smiled at her again, the storm abating in his eyes. "I am very glad to hear that."

"Thank you," she said, her voice small.

"Anytime, Ryoko. Anytime."

Author's note: Hoho! What's this? Tila updating? Yes, yes, it has been a while. I apologize for the lack of updates… err. *Sweatdrop* Hard to believe it's been since August. By the way, that was when this girl here started college, so if you can put two and two together and get yx2+1 then you can guess what I've been up to! Anyway, I'm probably going to be updating more often, especially since I've finally figured out what I want for my page layout. Thanks for all the reviews that I've gotten so far!


	7. Goodbye... or not

"You failed me before." Those few words caused a sense of fear unlike any other through the scientist's body, and he barely remained standing. The woman in front of him smiled slightly, as if she knew just what he was feeling and she enjoyed it. That smile chilled him all the more.

"Just give me one more chance, please!" he pleaded, inwardly almost disgusted. He'd never pleaded with anyone before. He caught himself before he mentally cursed her; perhaps she could read minds. Would she destroy him for such a thought?

"Tsk, tsk," she chuckled. "I can, but it wouldn't even be the worth of effort. And did you know that for me to wipe your existence out with be little more struggle for me than it would be for you to take a breath?"

"I-I'm sorry, m'lady!" he stammered, falling to his knees. Damn me, he thought.

"Keep your apologies; they are merely an insult to me. And you're already damned. Did you know that? I shall have… ahhh, but no mind to that." There was a pause, as if she was considering her next words. She never really considered what she said, though. At least, she wouldn't if she had something capable enough to understand them the first time around. Her patience with lesser creatures was limited, but she had to learn to cope with it. After all, she could have no direct impact on the world. "I will give you another chance, but not right now. Not with the same task, mind you. Don't get any more ideas in that fool head of yours."

"Yes, Lady," he replied reverently. Beads of sweat dribbled down his face.

"You are not to do anything without my explicit instruction," she said softly. "Do you understand?"

"I do, Highness." The answer came from his lips quickly, as though he was afraid any hesitation would cost him his life.

She smiled again, her eyes glowing malevolently. "Good. Don't fail me again. Otherwise, maybe I will try to breathe, Dr. Clay."

A long shadow cut out the light that Ryoko was using to write, and she looked up irritably. "Hiroshi, what do you want?"

"I'm beginning to regret that I got you that book," he complained, then his face turned mischievous. "I hungies, Ryoko!"

"Damn it, you know where the kitchen is!" she snapped, then scooted further over on her bed to get back into the light. "Fix something yourself."

He glared. "Every since I got you that thing you've been buried in it! It's been weeks! Weeks, I tell you!"

"Hmph, what did you expect? That a dirty old space pirate like me couldn't be creative?"

"Nooo, I expected you to pay attention to me!" he stomped his foot.

"Geez, Hiroshi, sometimes I swear you're about five years old," she muttered, then had to smile inwardly. Was this what it was like for Tenchi when she bothered him? Then again, Ryoko had to admit to herself that she really didn't mind it too much.

"Blah," he sighed, then sat down in a plush chair. "You never have time for me anymore."

"Oh, hush. It wasn't that long ago that you intruded upon my ship, you know."

"Pfft, it's been months."

"Hiroshi, I do have something that I want to discuss with you." She closed the red book reluctantly, then looked intensely at him.

"What?"

"According to my calculations and to Ryo-ohki's handy dandy map thing, we should be getting to the Ruki system tomorrow." She said this with as little emotion showing as possible, considering that it felt almost as though she was losing her best friend.

"Tomorrow?" he repeated hollowly, his face paling slightly. "That soon?"

"Soon? What are you talking about? You know that from the place we met it should've only taken weeks to get there! I admit, it's one of the further out places, and it's rather remote, but even after allowing for that…" she trailed off.

"Yes, but…" his eyes shifted to the floor and his fingers moved in an intricate pattern.

"Hey, listen, you'll be able to get a hold of whomever it is that you know there soon! And you won't have to see my ugly face anymore," she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"I don't know anyone there," he replied slowly. "There are a lot of things that I've yet to tell you about me, Ryoko."

She blinked. This was an odd thing to say, and she didn't really know how to respond to it. So she said the first thing that came to mind. "Oh…"

"Well," he said, clearing his throat. "I suppose you have things that you want to do while you're here, don't you?"

"Yeah, things," Ryoko echoed absently, fingering the cover on her bed. Her heart ached, but she didn't say anything. It never worked to speak up, so why should it now?

"I'm going to go, uh, eat," Hiroshi stammered, then exited her room quickly.

"Geez, what's eating him?" Ryoko grumbled, trying to push away the feelings that stirred within her. It was probably just residual feelings left over from her experience with Tenchi. Fear of abandonment, something like that. He was the pain in the ass guy who never let her get a moment's peace. He had broken his way into her life, and now he was leaving and that was the way it was supposed to be. Right? Right.

Without quite realizing it, Ryoko started moving the silver gel pen across the page. The movements formed letters, and the letters formed words.

__

When I first saw you

I hated what you were

You represented everything

That I had lost before

Because you looked at me

With no fear in your eyes

I soon became curious

Then we became allies

Floating together

Throughout space

We formed a bond

And hate was displaced

Every journey comes

To an end

But I wonder if

I will ever see you again

She stared at it, a strange look coming over her face. Did she really mean the words that were staring back at her? She was strong, independent Ryoko! Those were the words she had told herself not so long ago. Or was it? It had seemed like an eternity sometimes since she wandered through the forests of Earth. 

Rubbing her arms, Ryoko felt disgusting. "Ryo-ohk," she said softly. A small crystal popped up near her with the little furry face looking out. "I feel dirty."

"Miya!" the ship replied, then increased her speed and changed course slightly.

"Ryoko! What's going on?" Hiroshi bellowed from the kitchen area.

"Nothing that you need to worry your pretty head about," she replied, a trace of a smile on her lips. "You'll find out soon enough anyway." Her acute ears picked up his snort, and she giggled softly.

"Ahh, this is the life," Ryoko exclaimed. Ryo-ohki miyaed agreement beside her. The demon summoner and her cabbit were currently lounging in a large pool of hot water. Ryo-ohki had responded to her mistress' unspoken request and found a nearby hot spring. It was secluded, seemed safe, and there was more than one so Ryoko could get very clean while Hiroshi was off doing male things.

"Well, little one? Don't you want to relax in a more fitting form?" Ryoko asked, patting Ryo-ohki on the head.

The little cabbit nodded and scrambled behind a rock. Ryoko smiled; Ryo-ohki still was shy about her transformation. A minute later a humanoid figure tumbled into the pool. The space pirate reached over and grabbed the small girl. "I need practice," Ryo-ohki mumbled, her face radiating heat.

"Aww. I'm sorry. I haven't let you get a moment's rest much lately, have I?"

"It's okay. That's what I was made for," Ryo-ohki replied, making herself comfortable in the hot liquid.

"Ryo-ohki!" Ryoko said sharply. "What have I told you about saying that? You sound as bad as Washu!"

"Miya," Ryo-ohki retorted, falling back into her old habits.

Ryoko's ears turned red. "I'll let that one slip, little friend!" Her pale hands traced patterns in the water.

"Ryoko?" Ryo-ohki's voice, even more childlike and fainter than normal, caused Ryoko to look closely at her partner. "Is Hiroshi really leaving?" she asked.

"Uhh." Ryoko paused, trying to gather her thoughts. Damn! She thought she was away from this particular conversation for a while. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, he's a nice person. He doesn't really know me as being a cabbit or a person, but he never punched my walls."

Ryoko winced, reminded of how many times she had slammed her fist against the hard walls in anger. 

"And he said that I'm a nice ship, too," Ryo-ohki continued, oblivious to Ryoko's discomfort.

"Well, of course he did! You're the best star cruiser in the universe!" Ryoko replied proudly. "I wouldn't have anything less."

"You're avoiding the question, sister!" Ryo-ohki reproved, calling Ryoko the name that they had inwardly agreed on so many years ago. After all, they had the same "father."

Ryoko sighed, her golden eyes dimming slightly. "Yes, it's true."

"But why? Doesn't he like us?"

"Because we're getting to our destination, Ryo-ohki. Hey! We could always get some more spiked carrot juice!" Ryoko said, jabbing her fist into the air. "Oh, yeah!" Even though Ryo-ohki's humanoid form was that of a child, she was technically an adult. And, for some odd reason, the vodka proved to be great fuel for her when she turned back into a ship.

"I don't want a drink. I'm tired of leaving people behind," Ryo-ohki said plainly.

"Look, I don't want to talk about it anymore!" Ryoko snapped, and got out of the water. She walked without any real sense of where she was going; she just knew that she wanted to get away from the questions. "Damn stupid Hiroshi! I hate him! I hate hate hate him," she spat out, kicking a rock and watching it soar through the clear sky. "Why did he have to do this to me?"

It really wasn't fair. She first had to lose Tenchi and now she was losing Hiroshi. How beautifully ironic it was. The pain that she was running away from was now back tenfold. Maybe she wasn't meant to have friends. Maybe, just maybe Washu hadn't designed her that way. DESIGNED. She mentally shouted that word, coloring it with anger. Created, designed, damn it all to hell!

"Uhh, Ryoko, what are you doing?" a hesitant voice reached her sensitive ears.

"Go away, Hiroshi," Ryoko said flatly, not even looking towards him.

"No, tell me what's wrong!"

"I said go away, asshole! I don't need you!" she shouted, then pulverized a rock with her hand. "You damn males and your stupid stupid selves can't just leave me the hell alone, can you?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked, bewildered.

"Fucking asshole," she muttered underneath her breath.

His eyes darkened. "Now, listen here, space pirate! I have done nothing wrong! I just wanted to know what was wrong with you because you are clearly upset and you pull this shit on me! A guy can't even be a friend without having to deal with this kind of crap, huh? Well, to hell with it!" he shouted, then stomped away.

"Yeah? Well, stay the hell away!" she screeched after him, her voice echoing harshly around her. "I don't need you!"

"GOOD!" He disappeared behind an outcropping of rocks.

Ryoko sighed, then started after him. "Who does he think he is, anyway?" she muttered angrily. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" she bellowed.

"Fuck off, Ryoko," came his voice. She oriented on it, then floated over.

"Now, is that any way to talk to your best friend?"

He glared up at her, his eyes shining almost a silvery color. In that moment she was struck by how incredibly, for lack of better word, hot he was. Unlike some people who turned bright red when they were angry; he instead paled and looked much like a beautiful statue. His hair gleamed, even though it was wet from whatever source of water he had found, and he was bare from the waist up.

She shook her head, wondering where those thoughts had come from. "I was just… making sure you were okay," she said lamely.

"Ooh. Yeah, I'm fine. I don't really care, Ryoko," he replied evenly.

"Now, now, Hiroshi," she said, her voice lifting slightly, "don't be like that!"

"I'm not being like anything, Ryoko," he sneered.

Ryoko felt unsure of herself for once. Maybe she was wrong in following him. Maybe he didn't really care about her, just like everyone else. Well, fine! Like she said, she didn't need him anyway!

A strange look came over Hiroshi's handsome face, and he smiled suddenly. "I have an idea! Let's continue traveling together! It'll be fun! We could explore the universe!"

"What? You… you want to keep traveling?" she echoed, taken by surprise.

"Well, yes. Don't you, Ryoko? And be honest!" he said, wrinkling his nose.

"Hmph," she snorted.

"Please? Tell me," he said, his beautiful eyes softening slightly. "I won't press the issue if you don't want to, but it would be nice to know. After all, it would be such a blow to my ego if I found that you didn't want to see my ugly face anymore!"

"Oh, come off it," she said, turning away from him. Her soul was fighting within itself, and she didn't know what to say. She had never had anyone wish for her to stay around. It usually was people asking her to leave, or in some cases, shouting at her in an unbearably prissy voice telling her to get out of here. Now someone not only wanted her to stay, but wanted to go with her also. She stared at the ground, as if its grassy surface knew something that she didn't.

"Are you okay, Ryoko?" Hiroshi asked gently, his hand touching her shoulder.

She jumped, then stared at him with wide eyes. "Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why do you want to come with me? I ignore you, I belittle you and, most of all, I don't cook for you. So why?" she asked simply.

"Because, Ryoko, despite all the grave faults that you listed… or perhaps because of them… I like our time together." He shrugged. "Is that so hard to believe?"

The way he said it was so casual, so unapologetic. It brought a smile to Ryoko's face. "Yes."

"Well, I mean it!" he exclaimed defensively.

She giggled. "No, I mean yes, let's travel together!"

"You mean it?" This time he was the disbelieving one.

"Nope. I just wanted to get your hopes up and then dash them to the ground. Mwahaha!" she replied evilly, her eyes glinting in merriment. "Of course I want to!"

"Oh, Ryoko, you demoness tease," Hiroshi said, grinning.

"Tease? Me? Never!" she replied, sticking out her tongue.

"Really? Then perhaps you'd like to see about getting some clothes on," he suggested, managing to keep a straight face.

"What?" Ryoko asked, then glanced down at herself. She must've forgotten that her clothes in her anger! "Shit!" she swore, then popped back over to the pool where Ryo-ohki was still sprawled. "Damn that Hiroshi!"

~*~*~*~*~

Well, guys, here's the next chapter and it's only been a few days since the last one! I have spring break all this week and since I just lost my best friend, I should have plenty of fuel for writing! Lucky Ryoko, getting to keep her friend despite her, uh… tumultuous temperament. I wanted to thank the people who took the time out to review… I'm writing this story for myself, but I'm also writing it for you guys, and this helps me to know what works and what doesn't. Thanks for being such kind readers!


	8. Competitve Washu!

The sound of someone typing made an almost constant beat. It was like a robot was performing a program; few people would have guessed that the precise, rhythmic noise came from a person who looked to be a girl of no more than twelve. Washu was sitting in front of her computer, as she had been doing almost steadily for the past few months. She knew that she had a small audience gathered behind her, but why pay any attention to them until they spoke? After all, it was her magnificent lab that they were invading.  
  
The steady clacking of keys continued for a few minutes longer. The red haired scientist could've ignored them forever, but she'd forgotten their secret weapon. The klutz to end all, the one who ruined most of her inventions. A minor explosion behind her, followed by a hopelessly clueless sounding "oops" following by "was that important?" penetrated the genius's mind, and she stared at the large holoscreen in front of her for several seconds.  
  
"Mihoshi, if you touched that silver ball, I hope you can run fast," Washu said, her voice shaking slightly.  
  
"Umm… why?" came the reply, issued in the always-idiotic tone.  
  
"Nevermind, Mihoshi!" Washu fairly shouted, then got a grip on herself. She turned around, plastering a huge smile on her face. "What brings you here today? Do you finally want to give me that sample, Tenchi? Or how about a call to your parents, Ayeka? Or, maybe Sasami wants new cooking utensils. Or have you just come to let that ditz wreck havoc on my lab?"  
  
"Miss Washu," Ayeka started, repressing the urge to throttle Washu. "We are all worried about Ryoko. We --"  
  
"-- want to know if I'll find her, yadda yadda yadda," Washu interrupted. The small pillow that she always sat on seemed to dip just a bit in the air as Washu stared briefly at the floor. "Why would I do such a thing?"  
  
Ayeka's face turned an impressive color of red, almost matching her ruby colored eyes, but she quickly got it under control. "Miss Washu, please! We know that you wish to find Ryoko as much as we do."  
  
Washu turned back towards her computer, but it was more so that they could not see the pain in her eyes than for her dismissing them. "Like I said, why would I do such a thing?"  
  
Tenchi stepped in-between the two women, literally and figuratively speaking. "Miss Washu, please think about what we are saying. We are worried about Ryoko, and we were just hoping that you could possibly tell us if she's okay."  
  
"Well, Tenchi…" Washu said, then got an idea. "I'll be willing to talk to you."  
  
"Oh, thank you, Miss Washu!" Ayeka exclaimed, smiling sweetly, though she still wanted to strangle the scientist.  
  
"I said to Tenchi. I said nothing about the rest of you. Now scoot!" Washu commanded, then gritted her teeth as another one of her precious inventions just barely escaped with its existence. Mihoshi, much to Washu's relief, had abandoned her idea of touching a small, glittering cube as Sasami and Ayeka shooed her out of the lab.  
  
"Miss Washu, why only me?" Tenchi asked. His mind was busy, trying to find the nearest escape route should the move be necessary. The immense lab only seemed to have one exit, however -- the door through which the party had entered (and subsequently, Sasami, Mihoshi, and Ayeka had exited) through. He doubted that he would make it to the door before one of Washu's crazy creations snapped him up and strapped him down to a table.  
  
"Because you are the one that what I'm about to say most concerns. Ayeka would have undoubtedly lost her temper, and little Sasami doesn't really need to hear this. As for Mihoshi, well, I just wanted her out of my lab! She always ruins my inventions!" Washu snorted. "I am the greatest scientific genius in the world, and it only takes one extremely uncoordinated, stupid girl to ruin something that I spend months on!" With that said, Washu went to examine the small sphere that had been unfortunately enough to find itself in the hands of the blonde Galaxy Police officer.  
  
"I don't understand," Tenchi said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. Was it just him or was the gray space of the lab contracting around him?  
  
"Tenchi, Ryoko left because of you."  
  
"I know." Damn it, every time he thought about Ryoko that dominated every good feeling that he had.  
  
"The truth is, Tenchi, that I haven't had contact with Ryoko since she left."  
  
"You… what? What about the link?" Tenchi asked, stunned. His hand dropped down to his side.  
  
Washu made no reply at first. Her eyes were set on the keys of the translucent board, but Tenchi knew that she wasn't really looking at them. "The link is dead."  
  
"… Dead?" Tenchi whispered, desperately hoping that Washu's choice of words didn't mean what the cold fears that creeped into his heart told him.  
  
"I don't know, Tenchi," Washu replied to his unanswered question. "I do know that my little Ryoko might be strong enough to block me out, though."  
  
Tenchi looked momentarily impressed. "Really? Is she that good?"  
  
"Tenchi, there are many things that you never learned about Ryoko. Her intelligence was one of them." Washu absently brushed a few strands of errant hair out of her face.  
  
"Oh, come on!" Tenchi protested. "I know that Ryoko is smart."  
  
Washu snorted and started working furiously at her computer again. Her deliberate ignorance of Tenchi was enough for the boy to get the hint. He gave up and departed the laboratory, thankful that she had not tried to collect any specimens from him.  
  
Oh, Tenchi, Washu thought. Is it really too much for you to understand? How can you not see? My daughter has the potential to surpass all of you, and that includes you, Tenchi. None of you ever understood her, the way she deserved to be. I didn't understand her, either. All that bluster and emotion. I still don't understand her. I guess I'm not much of a mother, but at least she's still a teenager. I have an excuse.  
  
Washu sighed and shook her head, causing her long hair to sway back and forth and the tip to sweep the ground lightly. Her small face was thoughtful, much more so than any normal twelve-year-olds face would be. Though unknown to anyone else, she blamed herself. She would always blame herself. And it worried her deeply that she was unable to get a hold of Ryoko. No news is good news, they say; whoever they were must've never had kids.  
  
Damn it! There must be some way to break through the barrier. With Ryo-ohki by her side Ryoko could be anywhere! Wait! Ryo-ohki! Washu groaned and smacked her forehead. Why hadn't she thought of that before? Washu focused her powers, and concentrated…  
  
… And got nothing. She swore words that would make even a space pirate blush. It was not going to be a good night.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
On the other side of the universe, the general consensus was definitely not the same. Ryoko was striving to grab a glowing drink from Hiroshi, and he was doing his best to fend her off while keeping a straight face. The other patrons of the bar had no such qualms, however; they laughed freely while the cyan-haired made desperate attempts to steal away the drink. The smoky bar appeared to be an unlikely place for such a lighthearted thing to be going on, but this was no place for super villains, spies, and bounty hunters. It seemed to instead be a place where some local yokels got together and discusses the weather, crops, business, and whatever else came to mind.  
  
All of this meant little to Ryoko, who didn't care what people thought of her anyway. Or so she thought. Since that damn Zero assimilated with her, though, it seemed that people's opinions had been mattering more and more. Perhaps if she weren't in such an extreme situation right now, she would have pondered that. As it was, the only thing that was really important was possession of that lustrous drink, so appropriately called a nova.  
  
"Give me that!" Ryoko demanded, backing off and panting slightly.  
  
"Haven't you had enough, dear Ryoko?" Hiroshi replied tauntingly. Ryo-ohki miyaed her agreement, twitching her nose at the space pirate.  
  
Ryoko glared at him, her fists clenching and relaxing periodically. His blonde hair was tied back in a low ponytail so that Ryoko couldn't even yank on it in an endeavor to get her way. "Well. I really didn't want it that much anyway," she said sulkily.  
  
"Sour grapes?" Hiroshi commented, then proceeded to down the entire glass of liquid, heedless of the minature lightning coming from Ryoko's eyes. "It really isn't becoming," he added, enjoying the warm sensation caused by the alcohol. He sat back down on the slightly dirty wooden stool and laughed.  
  
Ryoko could tolerate jokes. She could even put up with prissy princesses and snobby comments. But she never, never once enjoyed someone laughing at her. She stood up to her full height, though it was no where near what Hiroshi stood, and counted to five. That didn't help, so she continued up to ten, and then twenty... when that didn't abate the situation, she instead punched Hiroshi in the stomach. Her satisfaction at his look of surprise and the sudden 'whoosh' of air as the air in his lungs left him rather unexpectedly was evident. Very slowly, as if in a movie, he folded over, his arms coming to wrap around his waist in a hug of sorts.  
  
"R-Ryoko," he gasped out between coughs.  
  
"Don't laugh at me," she growled fiercely at him. Nothing in her posture showed that she was sorry at all; if anything, the smug smirk that adorned her lips indicated that she was proud of herself.  
  
"You didn't have to hit me," he said, a bit more clearly. The other drinkers in the bar had now placed their drinks on the table and were regarding Ryoko with a trace of disapproval.  
  
"Well, tough luck. Maybe you'll remember what I did and why I did it," Ryoko replied coldly, then scooped Ryo-ohki up and walked out of the small establishment. Once outside, though, she sighed and dropped the rigid façade. It really hadn't been all that rewarding once she'd gotten over the initial release. She could've sworn that she heard Washu's voice mocking her. Temper, temper, little Ryoko, the little scientist would say.  
  
Ryoko frowned. Why am I thinking about that now, she wondered. I haven't really thought of … of Washu and the others in a while. It's not as though they are thinking of me. I wonder if they have forgotten me.  
  
"Oh, hell!" Ryoko swore before floating up into the inviting air. "I'm never going to think of them again!"  
  
"Who is them?"  
  
She whirled, her golden eyes fastening on Hiroshi. He was unable to float the way she was, but he was on the rooftop of the tavern. "How did you know…?"  
  
"Come now, Ryoko. I'm shocked. I can't believe that you think that I don't know you."  
  
"Well, I don't want to talk about it with you," Ryoko retorted, then settled down on the shingles next to him.  
  
"Hmm. Fine with me," he shrugged.  
  
She scowled. She hated it when he pried, but she hated it more when he didn't care. Damn men! They were always so infuriating.  
  
"What are you thinking about with such an intense look on your face?" Hiroshi asked, breaking the silence.  
  
"Ten--" Ryoko started, then coughed. "Food." … was I really about to say Tenchi? Is that such an automatic response that I just blurt it out whenever asked that?  
  
"Ten food?" Hiroshi repeated, his face thoughtful. "Can't say I've heard of it."  
  
Ryoko's face was starting to hurt from doing all sorts of unhappy expressions in the past ten minutes, but she managed to glower at him all the same. "If you came out here to laugh at me some more, Hiroshi, you are more than welcome to leave me alone!"  
  
"After the way you belted me? I don't think so."  
  
"Hmm, well, you had it coming." Ryoko tilted her head slightly back and stared at the stars. They looked so different here than they had on Earth. She never paid much attention to stars before; at least, not before she was released from her cavernous prison. When she had first gone back into space after the whole… fiasco with that boy whose name she refused to say she found the stars were so inviting. The light they cast was a cold one, but they always shone. She never worried about looking out the window one day and not seeing stars.  
  
"Ryoko, please. I don't want to fight with you," Hiroshi voiced softly, touching her hand. "I mostly wanted to come out here to say that."  
  
"I don't want to fight, either," she admitted reluctantly. "Besides which, you could never hurt me in a battle and I don't like to fight people who are inferior. It makes me look bad."  
  
Hiroshi showed his white, even teeth in a friendly smile. "That's what you think, missy. Someday we'll see."  
  
"Oh, don't even think about it, Hiroshi. I've fought battles that you can't even begin to imagine." Ryoko tried to sound flippant but a slight shake in her tone betrayed her.  
  
"This was supposed to be a celebration of the fact that we're staying together, Ryoko."  
  
She nodded, still staring at the wonderful stars. "I'm sorry." This time her voice did not shake, and it wasn't cocky or demeaning. It was sincere.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said I'm sorry, okay? Sheesh." Ryoko sniffed. "You don't have to make such a big deal out of it."  
  
"Well, just for that, Miss Ryoko," here he ignored her frigid stare, "I shall go buy you a nova now!"  
  
"YAY! Party time!" Ryoko shouted, thrusting a fist into the air. "Bring on the drinks!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Washu eyed her computer. Could it be true? She wanted to confirm it -- but there was no way of doing that! Perhaps she should go to the one whom she knew she could trust. Yes, that was the reasonable way to do it.  
  
Reluctantly she dragged her small body out of the laboratory and into the main part of the Masaki house. She made sure to seal her lab up tight because she had learned from experience, lots and lots of it, just what could happen when certain people stumbled into her lab when she was there. The damage alone that happened when Washu was around was convincing enough!  
  
Quiet, quiet now, she told herself. Just a little bit further and… "Washu!"  
  
"Uhh… Hi, Sasami," Washu said, trying her best to look innocent.  
  
"Have you come to join us for some lunch?" the little princess asked, her large rose-colored shining happily. "I have made all sorts of yummy stuff!"  
  
"Uhh… of course I am, Sasami!" Washu lied. She couldn't break the little girl's heart, no matter how urgently she wanted to know this information.  
  
"Great! I'm packing it in some baskets, and we were thinking about going up to the Shrine and eating with Grandfather!" With that said, Sasami disappeared back into the kitchen.  
  
Washu let out a sigh of relief. Not only did this give her a chance to catch up on the happenings in the house, but it also gave her a reasonable excuse for going to the shrine. Within a few minutes five girls plus Tenchi were trudging up the long pathway to the Masaki Shrine. Each person had a basket, or, in Mihoshi's case, a blanket.  
  
"Mihoshi!" Kiyone snapped, exasperated. "Quit dragging the blanket on the ground!"  
  
"I'm sorry, Kiyone, but the blanket just won't stay off of the ground!" Mihoshi replied.  
  
"That's because you let it come unfolded! Do you have to make a mess of everything?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Kiyone," Mihoshi replied, her big blue eyes filling with tears. She sniffled slightly.  
  
"Honestly, you two. Can we not have a day out without fighting?" Ayeka interjected, hoping to steer off an inevitable flood of tears. "It's such a lovely day out, isn't it, Mihoshi?"  
  
"Yeah," Mihoshi agreed, her face clearing. "And the flowers are so nice!"  
  
"Is Honorable Father going to join us today, Lord Tenchi?" Ayeka inquired, gazing at her beloved. Washu could've gagged on the amount of sugar in Ayeka's voice, but at the same time she found it oddly endearing. Good thing Ryoko wasn't around to see, though.  
  
"My father was going up to the office for a while today," Tenchi replied. "I don't think he'll be around, but I do know he'll be sorry he missed this feast!"  
  
"What are you children up to today?" Standing in front of the Shrine that had been built to protect the spot where Ryoko had lain for 700 years was Lord Katsuhito himself. He was an imposing figure of a man, Washu decided. His long, gray hair was worn back as it always was, and his glasses reflected the light in such a way that made it impossible for any of the approaching party to see his brown eyes. But the smile on his face lessened the severity of the image cut.  
  
"We brought you a picnic, Grandfather!" Sasami announced, running up the last few steps. Mihoshi tried to follow suit but soon got entangled in the long blue blanket that she held and tripped. Luckily, it was too nice of a day and she was too excited to be overly upset about the incident.  
  
The blanket was laid out and the baskets were emptied with no problem whatsoever. The delicious array of food now tempted all seven of the people present, and they dug into the meal without further delay.  
  
Washu noticed, with a certain degree of sadness, that Ryoko did not seem to be missed. Sasami was happily chatting with Mihoshi, which was most likely due to the fact that Mihoshi was no more advanced than the average eight- year-old was. Washu ignored the small twinge deep inside that told her that Mihoshi wasn't really that bad.  
  
On the other side of the small red-haired female was the happy couple, both of whom were engrossed in the other's eyes. It was almost a nauseating sight, and Washu was glad that Ryoko wasn't there to see it.  
  
Then there was Kiyone and Lord Katsuhito, both of whom were lost in their own thoughts. Washu wondered what it must've been like for Kiyone, a promising young GP officer, to lose a rank and be put on this backwater planet. At least she hadn't been here as long as Mihoshi had. Washu rather had to like Kiyone, who had single-mindedness about her work that rivaled Washu's determination and passion for science.  
  
Katsuhito, on the other hand, had a laid-back attitude that could only be employed by someone so confident in himself and his power that he didn't need to showcase it. It was something that never ceased to impress Washu. Of course, she was his opposite in that way. She was never afraid to admit that she was the greatest; in fact, she proclaimed it several times daily!  
  
Lunch was soon over, and before long the beautiful day claimed the attention of the younger attendees. Perfect, thought Washu as she watched Tenchi and Ayeka take off, everyone else slowly following. "Oh, Lord Katsuhito!" Washu said cheerfully.  
  
"Yes, Washu?" he replied, a slight smile marking his face.  
  
This seemed a bit odd to Washu, but she didn't let it bother her. "I have a question."  
  
"I figured that you might come to me today. This has something to do with that burst of energy, am I right?" the priest said gravely, though the small smirk remained upon his lips.  
  
"Eh," Washu said, looking crestfallen. Drats! "Yes, sir."  
  
"I do not know what it is, Washu." The sun again caught his glasses in the way that obscured his eyes, and she could not read what he was thinking from his outward appearance. He was such a hard person to understand and it often frustrated the scientist to no end. "I would suggest keeping an eye out for it, though."  
  
"Oh?" she responded, her voice covering her slight irritation at her inability to ever be one-up on the old geezer. "What makes you think that I can do that? Or that I would?"  
  
"Because we all know that you are the greatest scientific genius in the world," he said, then added, "There is no one else that I would trust with this, Little Washu."  
  
Her gloominess at being the last to know, or in this case, the second to know, vanished as those magical words hit her ears. Her green eyes lit up. "You can count on me, Lord Katsuhito!" she replied, jumping up. I'll get you yet, Grandfather, she thought as she headed back towards the lab.  
  
The gray-haired man watched her go, then shook his head. That Washu! He slowly stood up and made his way back into the shrine, chucking softly to himself. 


End file.
